Cindy Sheehan : the Amazing Hypocrites

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By Cindy Sheehan

Wednesday 22 March 2005 - This past weekend was the two-year anniversary of the beginning of "shock and awe" of the US Government’s aggression in Iraq. If all you did was watch CNN, FOX News, or MSNBC, you would never have known.

There were protests all across our nation. CNN called the over 800 protest events "barely a ripple." I spoke at a protest in Fayetteville, North Carolina where there were right around 4000 people. 4000 people full of energy and committed to the task of peace and justice and reclaiming our country from the sociopathic maniacs who are in power right now.

So what were the hypocrites in DC doing while much of the country was working for peace ... either at rallies, marches, or candlelight vigils? They were conducting an emergency smokescreen session in Congress to draft legislation for one woman: Terry Schiavo. Terry’s story is tragic and her family has suffered unbearable pain for many years with her "persistent vegetative state." I feel so much compassion for her mother, who has had to watch her daughter slowly waste away. My heart truly breaks for everyone in Terry Schiavo’s family.

However, I have one question for Congress and for George ("When in doubt, it is always better to err on the side of life"- Arizona, March 22, 2005) Bush, though: Why does Terry Schiavo deserve to live more than my son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan? Casey was misused and abused by his Commander-in-Chief and executive branch that boldly lied to the American public and the less gullible citizens of other countries about the reasons for the invasion of Iraq.

Casey was sent to Iraq to be killed by the same pack of cowards and murderers who so "valiantly" and tirelessly fought for the right for Ms. Schiavo to live! The green light for Casey’s murder was given by a Congress who expediently abrogated their constitutional rights to a president whose foreign policies are not based on reality or even loosely based on any kind of Christian moral values. Someone needs to give Congress basic lessons on the Constitution: Declaring War - YES; Meddling in a family’s private tragedy - NO!

As far as I am concerned, the amazing hypocrites in our Government are not making up for killing thousands of innocent Americans and Iraqis by passing emergency legislation to save one life. Every member of Bush’s executive branch (past and present) and every member of Congress who voted to give George the authority to invade Iraq have innocent blood on their hands. For the next State of the Union address, maybe the hypocrites in Congress should shamefacedly display blood-soaked hands, instead of proudly wriggling fingers stained with ink to symbolize sham Iraqi elections.

From Bush signing into Texas law The Futile Care Bill, the culture of the death penalty in Texas (and around our nation), proposed cuts in Medicaid, laws restricting medical malpractice lawsuits and Chapter 7 bankruptcy for families who have incurred huge medical bills, this shameful Congress should go back on vacation and go back to their home districts and look for people who have been devastated by the illegal occupation of Iraq.

Mr. Tom ("We should investigate every avenue before we take the life of a living human being") DeLay should be outraged for the soldiers who have been murdered because of the cowardice of him and his colleagues. He should shed real tears for the soldiers’ families, whose lives have been destroyed by their murders. DeLay should search for a homeless Iraq Vet and pass legislation to find him a job and an apartment. Mr. Tom (who cried over Ms. Schiavo’s hunger pains) DeLay should go to Walter Reed hospital and find one of our kids who has been horribly maimed by the betrayal of his government and pass legislation to pay for his meals. After 3 months, the wounded soldier has to pay for his meals with his own money. Maybe Mr. Tom (Crocodile Tears) DeLay should find a soldier who has returned from this abomination of a war who is suffering from PTSD and pass a law to get him the help he needs before the soldier’s dad finds him hanging by a garden hose in the basement.

Maybe if Tom DeLay and the rest of the members of Congress who voted for the Terry Schiavo Emergency Relief Act, and who voted to give George Bush the authority to go to war and who voted to give George Bush more money to waste in Iraq, sought out and talked to us citizens whose lives have been tragically impaired by the invasion/occupation of Iraq and could hear our stories, they might rush back to DC to vote to rip the authority out of the president’s hands and end the immoral occupation of Iraq. One thing this "Circus of Hypocrisy" has shown me is that Congress can accomplish something when it sets its mind to it. Now it is time to accomplish something important ... and I am not talking about steroids use in baseball.

I have a great idea! Although Mr. Tom (Politician Protection Act: HB 913) DeLay is not my Congressman (hmmm ... don’t think he’s Terry Schiavo’s Congressman, either) maybe I should ask him to introduce the Soldiers Put in Harm’s Way for Lies and Betrayals Emergency Relief Act ... and force the amazing hypocrites to bring our troops home, now!

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