Sheehan v Bush

Giovanni Rosendo, assistant editor

With thousands of people overseas fighting for our country, many are beginning to question what exactly we are fighting for.

Cindy Sheehan, native of California lost her son, Casey Austin Sheehan, to the war on Iraq and has since been protesting the war and President George W. Bush.

Cindy Sheehan began her protest against President Bush and the war on Aug. 6 in Crawford, Texas.  This one silent mother has been taking her stand against President George W. Bush with regard to the war in Iraq. 

 She led a 26-day vigil just outside the president’s ranch hoping for a moment alone with Mr. Bush to get some questions answered about the loss of her son and the 1,000 others who have been killed overseas.  "Camp Casey," the campsite aptly named after her son, was set in a ditch on the side of the road. 

 Sheehan was greeted the first day by two Bush administration officials, but never was bestowed with the opportunity to speak with the president.  She did have the opportunity to speak with him once prior to her visit.  I suppose this time though he was too busy with his vacation at the time. 

 I'm sure you've heard plenty of these ordeals on the news about how she was snubbed by our dear president, just catching a glimpse of him as he drove by on the street. 

 Sheehan did keep an online journal of her experience while at Camp Casey and in the midst of logging had an epiphany.  

 "If Zarqawi and Bin Laden gain control of Iraq, they would create a new training ground for future terrorist attacks,” President Bush said.  “They'd seize oil fields to fund their ambitions.  They could recruit more terrorists by claiming a historic victory over the United States and our coalition.” 

This is when Sheehan comments on the fact that her son and countless others indeed died for OIL, the black gold.  

 Since the beginning of this whole "war" I have reminded others who read this newspaper of the little acronym for OIL, Operation Iraqi Liberation. 

 My question is simply why did he not meet with Sheehan?  If he is not confident enough to stand his ground in reference to this war, why not defend it thoroughly to the parents of the soldiers who are giving their lives to help with this liberation? 

 Although President Bush did not have time to speak with Sheehan, he did have enough time to make a pit stop in Idaho to praise the name of Tammy Pruett.  Who is Pruett?  None other than the mother of four soldiers who are serving with the Idaho Army National Guard.  She also with a husband and another son who are helping train Iraqi firefighters in Mosul.  What a proper American family.  How did President Bush ever find them? 

 So why not have a little sit down with Sheehan about one son, but praise the family of Pruett?  I suppose it's because "America lives in freedom because of families like the Pruetts," as the president said. 

 Nonetheless, we have not heard the last of Sheehan.  She has since set up a permanent Camp Casey in Covington, La., to help with the relief of Hurricane Katrina. 

For more information on Sheehan, visit www.truthout.org.