About the Author
Opinion Archives
E-mail Scott
Scott's Links


Cindy Sheehan

By Scott Tibbs, August 20, 2005

Byron York has an interesting commentary at National Review. He makes the case that supporters of "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan are anti-war, period. Some of them are "peace" absolutists, even opposing the war in Afghanistan.

Sheehan has been holding vigil outside of the President's ranch in Texas, demanding that the President meet with her to discuss the death of her son in the Iraq conflict. President Bush already met with Cindy Sheehan and offered his condolences, but Sheehan and her supporters are demanding another meeting.

Does anyone think this protest is genuine? Rush Limbaugh has been pounding the point for several days that Sheehan is a Democratic activist and has been one for a while. The mainstream media and Sheehan supporters (but I repeat myself) are trying to portray her as a grieving mother who simply wants to talk to the President about her son's death. The reality, though, is that this is all political.

President Bush should not meet with Cindy Sheehan. He has nothing to gain politically, because Sheehan and her supporters will continue to berate him publicly. Any meeting between Sheehan and Bush has a large probability of turning into a circus, which would damage the President. If Sheehan's request were sincere, I would be much more likely to say the President should meet with her. Since her vigil is a political rally, Bush should not cave in to her demands. It would also set a bad precedent for any of the President's political opponents to demand a meeting on a variety of issues.

What is sad is that this woman is exploiting the death of her son to advance an absolutist "peace" agenda and to score cheap political points against President Bush. On August 11, the National Ledger reported on an email some members of the Sheehan family sent to the Drudge Report asking her to stop the protest. The family members wrote:

The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.

Sheehan's protest has also sparked a backlash from mothers who have lost their sons to the Iraq war.

This whole situation is rather morbid. Out of respect for her son, Sheehan should have ended the protest before it became a national circus. It is way too late for that, but this protest shows how low many on the extreme Left will go and how their hatred for President Bush will push them to defile the memories of fallen soldiers in Iraq.