Cindy Sheehan

I wasn't going to mention this woman and her crusade, but I've changed my mind. She has the absolute right to think and say what she wants, but so do I.

I think someone has gotten to her. My reason? After her son was killed, she had an interview with President Bush. Afterwards, she had nothing but praise for him. Now, she has turned 180 degrees and says the meeting was unsatisfactory. She's calling for another interview where she wants to ask him why the sons are dying. She also wants to know why, if the war is such a noble cause, his own daughters aren't in Iraq. And, she is calling for Israel to be given to the Palestinians.

I feel very badly for her. And I think she's lost her grip on mental stability. Perhaps the grief of losing her son sent her over the edge, is perhaps the reason for the breakup of her marriage. Yes, her husband has filed for divorce. Apparently, they have been separated since June. She claims the breakup is because of Casey's death - they couldn't handle it as a couple. The breakup might indeed be because of his death. The cause might also be her absorption in Casey's death and her new political life.

She is not over the grief of losing a son. Not that that is a grief she will ever totally "get over." What I mean is, she hasn't dealt with it. She's angry and she wants to blame someone for his death. A very normal response. Cindy is grieving and can't blame Casey for his death, so she's blaming the person at the top, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.

I think others are using her grief for their own purposes and manipulating her for their own ends. Calling for the end of the war in Iraq I could understand, but giving Israel to Palestine has nothing to do with the issue at hand. Why does she think that because she lost a son in Iraq that she has the right to set foreign policy? Not just for the US, but for the UN and the rest of the world.

Cindy has forgotten who is responsible for her son being in Iraq and that is Casey himself. We have a volunteer military. No one forced him to join the military. I believe he was a mechanic, in any case he had a job that did not necessarily put him in jeopardy. As I understand, he was killed trying to help another soldier. He made the greatest sacrifice one person can make for another - he gave his life.

Why aren't the Bush daughters in Iraq? For the same reason Casey was. We have a volunteer military. They haven't volunteered, and probably wouldn't be allowed to volunteer. Can you imagine what would happen if either of them were taken prisoner?

Over the last year or so, I've begun to question our reasons for going into Iraq. But, no matter the reasons, we are there and we have to finish the job. If we don't, the lives that have been lost will have been lost for nothing. Our military freed 25 million Iraqi's from tyranny. They no longer have to worry about being put into shredders. They don't have to worry about their wives and daughters ending up in rape rooms. They don't have to worry whether their husbands and sons will return from school or work or disappear into a prison or a mass grave.

I hate the thought of war. I hate that our nation's sons and daughters may die in another country. I can't remember who said it, but War is Hell (Patton?). No doubt about it. But freedom isn't something that can be negotiated or appeased into existance. Those who want freedom have to fight for it. Sometimes they have to be freed before they can fight for it. Compromise and appeasment are two of the things that led to WWII. Most of Europe fell to Hitler because of compromise and appeasment.

My questions about our reasons for being in Iraq stated, I admire that so many of our sons and daughters are willing to voluntarily enter the armed forces so that our country can be free. I am proud of America and her desire to see that the freedoms we enjoy are spread to other countries. I am proud our military freeing Afghanistan and Iraq from tyranny.

I wish that I could say that I served my time in the military. I can't. I didn't. Not everyone is suited for military life and at that time in my life, I wasn't. I can't tell you how much admiration and pride I have for those who choose to take that step. I know that there are many reasons for entering the military, education being one of the most prominent reasons. Securing our country is not necessarily first on the list and securing other countries is even further down the list. But everyone entering the military knows that they may, at some time, have to go to war in another country. Those who say they didn't know are fooling themselves. They are either stupid or not taking responsibility for their actions. Casey Sheehan knew that he could go to Iraq and was still willing to enter the military.

Am I blaming Casey for his death? No, absolutely not. Who do I blame? The Iraqi insurgents, the terrorists, whatever you want to call them, who caused his death. You can even go back as far as Saddam for blame. It makes as much sense to me to blame Saddam as it does to blame Bush. But, it doesn't really matter. He's gone and we should remember him and the others who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.