An Open Letter to Wealthy Patriots, from a Gold Star Mother

I received the following email from Celeste Zappala today:

An Open Letter to Wealthy Patriots, from a Gold Star Mother

George Bush will be speaking about the war at the World Affairs Council in Philadelphia on Monday. Tickets for the event are sold out, however, the luncheon tickets that are closest to Mr Bush were sold for $10,000. I would like to be at a table close enough to Mr Bush so that he could meet with me.

I was one of the Gold Star Mothers who camped on the road side ditch in Crawford, Texas waiting to meet with George Bush. I watched him roll past me on his way to a local fundraiser. He never stopped to talk to the Gold Star Mothers.

On Monday he will be in Philadelphia, the City where I live and where my fallen son Sgt. Sherwood Baker grew up. I will be outside of the hotel where he is speaking hoping to ask again, “for what noble cause did my son die?”

I would like to be inside, I would wish to be seated at the $10,000 a seat table, with other patriots. Maybe then Mr Bush would be willing to speak to me, look at my son’s picture and tell me why Sherwood was killed looking for the weapons of mass destruction.

thank you for your consideration, I hope you can finda way to include me.

Celeste Zappala

Mother of Sgt Sherwood Baker, the First PA National Guardsman to die in combat since 1945 killed in Baghdad, 4/26/04 while protecting the Iraq Survey Group as they looked for the Weapons of Mass Destruciton

I first met Celeste Zappala while reporting from Camp Casey this past summer.

Her pain is real and her cause is true.

I doubt she will hear from the World Affairs Council as she is probably not considered a true “Patriot.” After all, she gave only her son to the cause and not the all important $10,000.

Perhaps dropping them a line at info@wacphila.org would be a good way to let them know what we think the true definition of “Patriot” is.

Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, Cindy Sheehan & Celeste the day the president drove by at Camp Casey