Who Cares What Her Son Believed. Cindy Sheehan has an Agenda.
By Justin Darr (08/14/05)
On April 4, 2004, Army Specialist Casey Sheehan died for his country and for what he believed. After enlisting in the Army in 2000, Casey Sheehan reenlisted for a second tour knowing full well that he could be sent to fight in Iraq. In late March, 2004, he was stationed with the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment as a mechanic. Despite the fact Sheehan was in a noncombatant position with the Army, in his first week on base, Sheehan volunteered to go on a dangerous mission into the heart of the Iraqi insurgency in Sadr City and was killed in action. These are the acts of a hero, not unlike thousands of others in the armed forces who sacrifice, and sometimes die, daily for our ! country.
While it has not been reported what Casey Sheehan’s views on the War in Iraq were, it is rather obvious that if he thought he was wasting his time, or participating in an immoral and illegal action, he would not have reenlisted. Nor, would he have placed himself willingly into the line of fire knowing full well the possible consequences of his actions. Casey Sheehan was a patriot who showed through his deeds the bravery and determination that can only come from a person who deeply believes in the cause for which he is fighting.
Well, somebody should let his mother know this, because Cindy Sheehan has decided to use her son’s flag draped coffin as a soap box to shout out her personal leftist beliefs that are completely contrary to those of her son.
Almost everyone in the media is afraid to address this issue. After all, Cindy Sheehan has had her son torn away from her forever, and as a society we see any attacks on a grieving mother as beyond contemptible. However, while sorrow from the loss of a child makes many parents seek out the help of the clergy and councilors, Cindy Sheehan’s grief led her to seek out a public relations firm connected to Moveon.org. While the parents of fallen soldiers usually use the opportunity to speak out in support for what their departed son or daughter believed, Cindy Sheehan has chosen to attack it. And while most other parents of fallen soldiers limit their comments to the War, Cin! dy Sheehan has not just attacked President Bush and the United States’ presence in Iraq, but hurled anti-Semitic comments about Jews instigating the War, her son not enlisting in the Army to die for Israel, and demanding that Israel pull out of the Occupied Territories. What does this have to due with the loss of her son? Absolutely nothing other than verifying the fact that Cindy Sheehan is using the death of Casey as free publicity to promote her personal agenda.
Cindy Sheehan may believe her son died for nothing, but I am sure Casey Sheehan did not. For the media to sit idly by and not investigate this inconsistency and allow Cindy Sheehan to propagate her lunatic fringe opinions without criticism makes them complicit in the dishonoring of her son. If we have any respect for fallen veterans, then we must speak out against all those who attack them, even if one of them happens to be their mother. And when the comments begin to stray from the subject of the War, then they should be treated the same as remarks from anyone else. To do anything less makes us just as bad as Cindy Sheehan and her leftist handlers.
Casey Sheehan died fighting for what he believed. Unfortunately, this fact has been lost on his mother who has been blinded to nearly everything else except her personal opinions. Cindy Sheehan has also forgotten about all the other mothers whose sons and daughters are still fighting in Iraq and for the soldiers themselves who have to listen to her vitriol. Does Cindy Sheehan care about the effects her words have on these people? Does she care about the pain she is causing to the mothers of other fallen soldiers? Judging from how much she cares about what her son thought, I doubt it. Things such as these have little impact on Cindy Sheehan; she has an agenda to push.
© 2005 Justin Darr www.justindarr.com
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