For a few days early this week, I had the honor of playing host to my friend Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers, who flew all the way from Japan to Texas to show support for Cindy Sheehan and the other families in Crawford who are demanding a direct answer to the question: “What noble cause?” We went to Crawford on Monday and Tuesday.
The president maintains that he needs to “go on with his life,” and so he still will not meet with her.
As many already know, after having their memorial temporarily ruined by some wacko from Waco, and having some of the lovely people of Crawford rally behind a court petition to ban parking on the public right of ways – an injunction which would have virtually made Camp Casey illegal – a local property owner has invited Cindy Sheehan to move the camp to his property, which is much closer to Bush’s place. Ain’t that America?
While at Camp Casey on Monday and Tuesday, Mike and I were only able to spend a short amount of time with Cindy, who of course, is being questioned from all sides at all times, but she was very kind and quite down to earth, contrary to the impression the War Party is trying to give about her. At Monday’s press conference, she emphasized that with all the people flooding in, and media flying around, the core of her story has been a bit diluted, and that she wanted to get back to it.
My best understanding of the core is simply this: Bush told her that her son died for a noble cause, and now she would like a specific explanation as to what exactly that cause was. Secondly, knowing that there is no honest answer to that question, she wants the war to end immediately and for the rest of the soldiers to be brought home.
While in Crawford, I got to meet many interesting people, including a Master Sergeant from Ft. Hood who was drawing up specific tactical plans for the full scale invasion of Iraq beginning immediately after Bush took office in 2001.
“Go back and see how many generals retired during that time – during the run up to war,” he said. I mean to.
I also met Tim Goodrich from Iraq Veterans Against the War, who told me that he had specific firsthand knowledge of the early start of the air war in 2002, as referred to in this article in The Nation.
I was also able to hear the stories of many other military and gold-star families who are there in support of Cindy and her mission. Although many of them have stories as compelling as Cindy’s, their stories are mostly ignored by the mainstream media.
Unfortunately, Mike took all our audio back to Japan with him, so better descriptions of these stories will have to wait.
Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern was there showing support. It was my first opportunity to meet him in person, and I found him to be a very kind man and a very critical opponent of the warfare state, though our conversation was not an interview.
The worst part of the time I spent in Crawford, besides listening to family members tearfully describe the deaths of their sons, brothers and nephews, was hearing so many stories from people whose families have been torn apart over differing views on the war. People have so much invested in their positions, that they let relationships with parents, children, grandchildren, brothers, and sisters be destroyed over it. It doesn’t seem that the pro-war side is any more bull-headed about this than those in opposition. I suppose that this type of thing can be expected when arguing over such matters as life and death, though folks could be a bit more grown up.
It is easy to see why the military culture (though definitely not all soldiers) frowns on dissent about policy from military families. This is a result of at least two major factors. The first is the legal requirement of obedience to ranking officers, but in a larger context this reflects the tradition and constitutional requirement of civilian superiority over military power – tradition and law that are meant to restrain the temptations of military leaders. In this case, however, the generals seem much more restrained than the “intellectual” crazies in the pentagon and Vice President’s office.
It is also easy to understand how no one would want to hear that their loved one had died for a pack of lies, and some military family members have complained that Sheehan is dishonoring their relative’s sacrifice. On Monday, Sheehan said that she understands their grief, and is glad that those people believe whatever they need to believe to “get through the day.” She means them no ill will at all, it’s just that she cannot pretend to believe that the war her son died in was an honorable cause when she knows better. Instead she is standing up for her son and for the sons of others who she wants brought home safely from the disaster they call Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Anyone who can take a couple of days to drive to Texas and lend support for Cindy Sheehan and her vigil should do so.
Mike Rogers came all the way from Tokyo because resisting the warfare state is the most honorable thing a patriot could do. Consider taking part in any small way you can.