7.19.2005

sounds

Cindy Sheehan wants to hear the sound of a nation waking up.

Sheehan is the mother of Spc Casey Austin Sheehan, killed in action in Iraq on April 4, 2004. She is the founder of Gold Star Families for Peace. Today in Common Dreams, Sheehan writes:
The saddest thing about the obscene sounds of violence is that they never should have been heard in the first place. From Maine to California, and from Baghdad to Falluja, these dirges were unnecessary. In my travels, and from hundreds of emails, phone calls, and cards and letters, I am discovering that people who formerly supported the invasion of Iraq are withdrawing their support. I even believe that many of our fellow citizens who still support the ignominy of Iraq are doing so because they are clinging to the deceptions so desperately, because they want the deceptions to so be the truth. It will be painful to come to terms with supporting the lies of this administration. It will be painful to know that wholesale killing of innocent people occurred because you and so many others believed the betrayals, but acknowledging the mistake is the first step to correcting it. And believe me, acknowledging the mistake is not as painful as hearing those devastating sounds.
Read "The Sounds Of Hope" here.

2 comments:

Sass said...

I myself have several family members who were for the war 110% until one of my close family members headed off to Iraq.

laura k said...

Eyup.

Back when we were first protesting the run-up to the war, Allan and I were handing out flyers for the big global demo. Some old coot started yelling at Allan, calling him unpatriotic, etc. Allan immediately said, Will you be enlisting, sir? The guy said he was too old. Allan asked him, will you be sending your son, perhaps, or your grandson?

I've used that as a model ever since. That's the only question worth asking. Is this war worth your child's life?