Cindy Sheehan

By Steve Fine

This Monday, January 2, 2012, following the Rose Parade, Cindy Sheehan brings an important message to Occupy Wall Street (and Main Street) from the west steps of Pasadena City Hall: How trillion dollar wars serve the interests of the 1% at the expense of the 99%. Specifically – as described in the Occupy LA announcement: Cindy will speak about “the relationship between the Military-Industrial-Congressional complex and the Fortune 500 and Wall Street Banks.”

Good, because up until now that has not been the focus of the OWS movement. While it has been busy targeting the dominance and corruption of the 1% on the domestic side, it has inadvertently given those same people a massive free pass on the foreign policy side. This needs to change. The two cannot be separated, because they control the war economy and the civilian economy.

One obvious example of how these interconnected policies impact us is with funding: austerity measures for the civilian economy are prescribed by the elites and dutifully emphasized by the mainstream media and voted on by politicians as the only remedy for budget shortfalls – that is called sound fiscal policy, while simultaneously funding for the national defense and security apparatus is protected, justified as essential in waging the war on terror.

In short, it will take both movements working together to change these skewed priorities, not to mention stop the next war.

Case in point, entering into another military adventure so soon after ending the Iraq debacle is not an abstract or distant possibility, nor is it insane from our rulers’ point of view. For them, it makes sense, since Iran always was the main target in the Middle East region, nor would such a war pass without some people making out like bandits.

At the very least it will feed the war economy while burying the OWS movement as the focus shifts to rallying behind the troops. Beyond that, if there is a major escalation leading to a full-scale war with Iran, then it is not inconceivable that today’s OWS occupiers will be tomorrow’s draftees.

That said, short of hostilities breaking out with Iran, the overall Bush Doctrine of projecting American dominance globally remains in play for the long term as the Pentagon pursues a long war strategy. Therefore, flare-ups are possible down the road at any time and in any number of regions, each one capable of sucking us into empire support operations. Wherever American interests are deemed vital and there is an uncooperative regime, our leaders are quick to assert our national security interest to justify military action.

From Cindy Sheehan:

By Cindy Sheehan

“Violence is a part of America. I don't want to single out rap music. Let's be honest. America's the most violent country in the history of the world, that's just the way it is. We're all affected by it. “
Spike Lee

“I do not know a method of drawing up an indictment against a whole people.”
Edmund Burke

January 8, 2011 was a tough day—six people were killed and many more wounded in a cowardly act of unspeakable violence.

By Cindy Sheehan, Al Jazeera

The recent repeal of the US military policy of "Don't ask, don't tell" is far from being the human rights advancement some are touting it to be. I find it intellectually dishonest, in fact, illogical on any level to associate human rights with any military, let alone one that is currently dehumanising two populations as well as numerous other victims of it's clandestine "security" policies. 

Placing this major contention aside, the enactment of the bill might be an institutional step forward in the fight for "equality"; however institutions rarely reflect reality.

Do we really think that the US congress vote to repeal the act and Obama signing the bill is going to stop the current systemic harassment of gays in the military?

By Dede Miller

Photo by Linda Milazzo

On Monday, November 29th, I attended an event at Saddleback Church, or, as I now call it, Sodom and Gomorrah, in Lake Forest California. George Bush was the guest Philistine. Sodom and Gomorrah is located deep in the heart of VERY conservative Orange county California. I, and my fellow defenders of good and justice, were literally in the belly of the beast..

Open Memo

by Linda Milazzo

Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs believe that more than 6000 veterans will commit suicide in 2010.

According to an article in Foreign Policy, an average of one soldier a day committed suicide in June.

When Barack Obama spoke to Disabled Veterans of America (DVA) in Georgia on August 2, he addressed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), calling it “a pain like no other” and said: "… the hopelessness that has led too many of our troops and veterans to take their own lives. Today, I want to say to anyone who is struggling—do not suffer in silence. It’s not a sign of weakness to reach out for support—it’s a sign of strength. Your country needs you."

“Your country needs you.” Yes, the United States of American needs you.

Your country needs you for imperialist wars and occupations.

Your country needs you to secure the resources of other countries.

The soldier in a now-famous Wikileaks video who found a rocket launcher at the scene of a controversial 2007 Apache helicopter attack, in Baghdad, said in a radio interview this week that he did not believe an ambush was imminent. The video shows 12 men, including two Reuters newsmen, standing on a street corner before being fired upon with the Apache’s 30mm cannon, resulting in what appears to be an unprovoked massacre. The video caused an international outcry after it was leaked to the media by the government watchdog Wikileaks. The presence of the rocket launcher was seized upon by defenders of the attack as proof that the attack was justified, and that this was evidence of an impending ambush.

I’m happy to run with the six peaceniks that stood trial in DC Superior Court on July 12th. Three are with Peace of the Action (POTA) and include Cindy Sheehan, national director of the organization, as well as Jon Gold and Jim Veeder. They were acquitted. Elaine Brower of Military Families Speak Out and Matthis Chiroux of Iraq Veterans Against the War were convicted, as was Leflora Cunningham-Walsh. I applaud these citizens of the world and their devotion to peace and activism. Sheehan and Gold have articles about the trial on POTA’s web address: peaceoftheaction.org/.

On July 13th, some of us gathered at the White House. We took a bullhorn to the president’s presidio and told Barack Obama what we think of his George Bushiness foreign policy. This was gratifying, a celebratory wrap for POTA’s July action, especially since the defendants, prior to the trial, had been under a “stay away order” from this area of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Now, this:

Now, progress would be not arresting people in the first place.

Cindy credits Mark Goldstone and Ann Wilcox for legal help.

Here's NBC: "Cindy Sheehan Cleared of D.C. Protest Charge". The crime was protesting. Sheesh.

Here's press release:

Cindy Sheehan and two others acquitted, 3 found guilty stemming from March 20th arrest in front of White House.

Today, Cindy Sheehan, National Director of Peace of the Action, and two of her colleagues, Jonathan Gold and James Veeder, were acquitted of crossing a police line. Judge Morin, of DC Superior Court found that the government didn’t prove beyond reasonable doubt that the three knew that the bicycle racks placed between the protest and the few protesters lying on the sidewalk constituted a “police line.”

Three of the defendants, Elaine Brower of Military Families Speak Out and World Can’t Wait and Matthis Chiroux, veteran and member of Iraq Veterans Against the War were convicted of failure to obey a legal order and Leflora Cunningham-Walsh, a local DC activist was convicted of crossing the police line. The three who were convicted were given a $100 fine, which was suspended due to the fact that the defendants spent a considerable amount of time in jail after the arrest. Chiroux, Brower and Cunningham-Walsh are inclined to file an appeal and will probably due so soon.

“Win one for free speech,” exclaimed Mark Goldstone, defendant’s co-counsel soon after the verdicts were delivered by Judge Morin.

“I am happy to be acquitted for the first time ever at trial, but I am distressed that Matthis, Elaine and Leflora were not acquitted. Elaine’s son spent tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan and has had issues every since. I know that Elaine suffered every time James was deployed as she suffers for all of our troops and the people our country is massacring in what we have long considered to be illegal and immoral wars. Matthis gave an emotional statement after his conviction stating that his service harmed him as he unfortunately harmed others. On March 20, we all were just exercising our civil and human rights to free speech and our Constitutional right to peaceable assemble,” Sheehan said in a post-trial statement.

“We will go to protest in front of the White House tomorrow at 1pm,” Sheehan continued: “We can never let up, because our government won’t stop the wars overseas.”

The six co-defendants all had “ban and bar” orders from the White House that were lifted upon the ending of the trial.

Sizzlin' Summer Protests Begin on July 4th in Washington, DC

Peace of the Action would like to invite you to join us in the Capitol of the Empire for two weeks of protest.

Schedule

Sunday, July 4th:

Meet up with us in Lafayette Park (across from the White House--Pennsylvania Ave side) at 1PM as we declare our Independence from Petroleum. Very few people can break this addiction 100%, but very few of us can't reduce our consumption by a significant amount. If you can't make it to DC, consider having a protest in solidarity with us at a local BP or ARCO/AMPM station.

Monday, July 5th-Friday, July 9th

Say "So long" to Drones!

We will be meeting in Lafayette Park every day at 9am to go to various places in DC (the Smithsonian; General Atomics, etc) to protest the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the illegal and immoral wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Tuesday, July 6th

Prime Minister of Israel, inyamin Netanyahu, is visiting the White House--we will be there to demand that the siege on Gaza is lifted and that the occupation of Palestine be ended with a solution that is fair to the Palestinian people.
Saturday, July 10th

Take Back the Land.

We will help a homeless organization set up a homeless camp in DC

Monday, July 12 to Friday, July 16th

War is a Racket!

Join us in Lafayette Park every day at 9am as we go to various locations in DC (recruiters' and war profiteers) to protest the preying on of our children by military recruiters.

Monday, July 12:

Trial of the Century for the POTA 3 and three others begins in DC City Court.

"Let Them Eat Oil"
By Cindy Sheehan

I am now on an airplane heading home (for two days) after my very profound and moving experience in the Gulf Region.

Monday, June 21st, a few dozen activists, scientists, environmentalists and concerned citizens gathered in front of the Deepwater Horizon Response Unified Command Center to present our list of demands to the office that houses BP and 14 Federal Agencies (the FBI also has offices in the building).

We pulled this protest together in two days and I was gratified at the turnout (one woman, Cyndie, came up from Florida) and especially with the turnout from the media. Usually the corporate media presents some hostility, but not today. After my interviews, many of them said words to this affect: "Thank you for being here to help us call attention to this disaster." Wow! Even the jaded press realizes what an enormous tragedy this is!

Cindy Sheehan: "Real American Values and the Reality of Robotic War" from GordonSturrock on Vimeo.

UW Campus Antiwar Network: Antiwar panel scheduled for Monday at 7:00 at Memorial Union featuring activist Cindy Sheehan cancelled by union staff due to "security concerns" | Wis Politics | Press Release

Note to Attendees: Event attendees are set to meet at the front steps of the Union at 6:45 PM, and from there, the panel will either be held there, in the Union lobby, or in Lakefront on Langdon in the Union.

To Members of the Press:

An antiwar panel sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Havens Center, Campus Antiwar Network, Middle East Interest Group, and the Wisconsin Union Directorate's Society and Politics Committee and scheduled for Monday, April 26 at 7:00 PM in Memorial Union has been cancelled by the Union Building/Event Management Director, Roger Vogts, due to a last-minute expression of "security concerns" that would accompany antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan's visit. Vogts said that he could not contact security over the weekend because, apparently, phones don't work over the weekend.

On top of that, those organizing the event would have to foot the bill for the security, even though Sheehan never requested security to begin with, and even though no organizations involved with this event had enough money to foot the expensive bill this late in the game, either.

The U.S. Supreme Court has made clear, in its Forsyth County v. Nationalist Movement (505 U.S. 123, 1992) decision, that "Speech cannot be financially burdened, any more than it can be punished or banned, simply because it might offend a hostile mob" (emphasis mine). Since the Union's Central Reservations presides over a viewpoint-neutral limited public forum at the Union and other facilities, the Union is necessarily bound by the same constitutional demands as the local government in Forsyth County. In other words, it is unconstitutional for any viewpoint-neutral limited public forum to deny any organization their free speech rights on the grounds that they are unable to provide for extra security costs related to the exercise of that free speech.

A few days ago, Cindy Sheehan wrote about the impending foreclosure of the Crawford Peace House, asking if you could help by contacting Johnny Wolf directly. Today, Johnny wrote:

The mortgage company has agreed to a month’s delay in foreclosing on the Peace House.

Your support is making a difference!

Thank You,
Johnny Wolf

Johnny Wolf’s activism began at an early age, as his parents instilled in him an ethic of peaceful service to his fellow man, which he has practiced throughout his life. After attending a National Network to End the War Against Iraq conference, he sold enough buttons at a buck a pop to raise the down payment on the Peace House.

Among Johnny’s other contributions are co-founding the Committee on Solidarity with the People of Iraq, which, together with Veterans for Peace, is responsible for rebuilding six water treatment plants in Iraq.

The Crawford Peace House was dedicated on Easter Sunday, 2003.

Over the years of resistance to the Iraq war and the criminal activities of the Bush regime, the Crawford Peace House served thousands of activists as a gathering place of hope and resistance, feeding literally thousands of people and managing a large team of volunteers. Wolf states, “The Peace House is so much more than President Bush – it is a centralized location where we perform miracles, offering hope to humanity to counter the cult of war.”

Now, with your help, Johnny is working tirelessly to make the dream of a Peace Museum a reality. Easter, of course, is our seasonal reminder of the prospects of world peace. If you share in the dream of a Peace Museum and care to contribute, you can contact Johnny Wolf.

Camp Is Gone, But Not For Long
By Cindy Sheehan

Well, our great experiment didn’t go as well as we planned here in DC. My vision was a Peace Camp that would serve the needs of the campers as far as housing and food were concerned (that part worked) and the campers would then commit aggressive acts of civil resistance (that part didn’t) in the nation’s capital to shut down the violent military-corporate empire that we live in. In the opinion of members of Peace of the Action, living here in the US gives us special responsibilities for stopping it.

Anyway, we had hundreds of people come through camp over the week that we were allowed to keep it up. Dozens were college students that worked very hard while they were here and we were sorry to see them go back to their schools after break. The thing that we were hoping that would happen and never did—was that hundreds of people would stay and help us claim the camp as a permanent presence on the mall.

It’s true that the Park Police thwarted us and watched (and photographed) every move we made. However, if we had the numbers, we could have taken a more credible stand against the repression of our rights. When the Park Police came out and shut down camping on the first day—part of our name “Camp” was shut down, too. Read more.

Transcript of Cindy Sheehan’s Soapbox Interview with President Hugo Chavez
Transcribed by Regina Freitag; Original Translation by Eva Golinger; Interviewer: Cindy Sheehan. Listen to the audio here.

Cindy Sheehan: Welcome to this video and audio audition of Cindy Sheehan’s SoapBox.

Presidente Chavez, thank you for being on the show, thank you for this interview and thank you for allowing me to bring the truth about Venezuela and about you and about your revolution to the people of the United States.

Before the revolution, Venezuela was a nation that was ruled and used up by the oligarchy, the elite. How did your revolution begin, how did it manage to remain relatively peaceful?

Hugo Chavez: Thank you Cindy, for this interview, for your efforts, that are so honorable and notable, to try to find out our truth and to contribute to its diffusion. And we wish you much luck in your struggles, which are ours as well, against war, for peace, for freedom and equality and against imperialism. We accompany you in your struggles. You and the people of the United States. We love them the same. The bourgeoisie of Venezuela has always dominated the country, for more than a hundred years. And they dominated it with force, using violence, persecution, assassination and disappearances. Unfortunately, the Venezuelan history is a history full of a lot of violence, violence from the strong against the weak. In the 20th century, Venezuela, which was dominated by the oligarchy and the bourgeois state, the rich, the wealthy, produced a reversed type of miracle, we could say. Venezuela was the first exporter of oil from the beginning of the 1920s until the 1970s. One of the largest producers of petroleum in the world throughout all the 20th century. And when the 20th century ended, with the domination of the bourgeoisie, despite all the wealth, Venezuela had more than 70% poverty and 40% extreme poverty, misery, misery, misery. So that generated an explosion, a violent one. All explosions are violent. An explosion of the poor, to liberate themselves. We were remembering just 2 days ago in Caracas. You were there with us, with our people. 21 years ago, the people woke, arose in a big explosion. And as military we were used by the bourgeoisie to massacre the people, children, women, and older people. And then that awoke something in the young military folks, a consciousness of pain and then we joined with the people. We had two rebellions, military rebellions, popular (inaudible ). A revolution isn’t exactly peaceful. As you said it was relatively peaceful. Read more.

From Cindy Sheehan:

As you all know, Camp OUT NOW was shut down by law enforcement here in DC--we wanted to make a stand to keep Camp up, but we did not have the numbers to do that.

Camp was so energetic and wonderful for the week that we had it up, that no one really wants to give that up. However, since the numbers are so weak, we will have to stop here in DC for awhile.

We are planning to set Camp back up in June when students get out of college/high school and we are planning on doing what we originally planned: Daily acts of Civil Resistance over the summer until Congress leaves to campaign.

By Cindy Sheehan

On the 7th commemoration of the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq, there was a rally and march in DC sponsored by the A.N.S.W.E.R. coalition that was attended by about eight thousand people.

For quite awhile, I have been having problems with marches on Saturday, anyway. It seems like we march past empty buildings and shake our fists at them and promise that if those empty buildings don’t change their ways, we will be back next year to do the same thing. The arrests are symbolic and don’t shut down anything, except in the case of large arrests, where the police stations are busy for a few hours.

Thousands rally to pull troops from 2 war zones
By Matthew Barakat | Washington Post

Thousands of protesters - many directing their anger squarely at President Barack Obama - marched through the nation's capital Saturday to urge immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

At least eight people, including activist Cindy Sheehan, were arrested by U.S. Park Police at the end of the march, after laying coffins at a fence outside the White House. Friday marked the seventh anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

"Arrest that war criminal!" Sheehan shouted outside the White House before her arrest, referring to Obama.

At a rally before the march, Sheehan asked whether "the honeymoon was over with that war criminal in the White House" - an apparent reference to Obama - prompting moderate applause.

The protesters defied orders to clear the sidewalk on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House and park police say they face charges of failure to obey a lawful order. Read more.

Four videos and a slide show:

Protesters prepare for Saturday's antiwar demonstration
By Michael E. Ruane, Staff Writer | Washington Post

Maggie Pondolfino has a 24-year-old son who is a soldier serving in Afghanistan -- "he's honorable, courageous, has a lot of integrity and he loves his mother," she said.

Which is why, in part, she said she will be marching in an antiwar demonstration Saturday to bring him and other soldiers home from what protesters Thursday called America's "illegal war for empire."

The protest, against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will begin with a noon rally in Lafayette Park across the street from the White House. The march will follow.

Organizers said at a news conference Thursday that the Afghanistan conflict has become "Obama's war." They criticized the continued fighting there and in Iraq, and said the president's war policies were just like former President George W. Bush's. Read more.

Notes From DC
By Missy Comley Beattie

Spirits were soaring on Monday morning, despite the cold rain that fell as a large tent for CAMP OUT NOW, the prelude to Peace of the Action, was erected on the grounds of the Washington Monument. People are here from California, Louisiana, New York and many other places, plus more are arriving daily. The elderly, middle aged, and young are represented, all sharing common goals of bringing our troops home, no more contractors, ending US Empire, closing foreign military bases, fully funding the VA system, saying no to robotic warfare, closing torture and detention facilities as well as paying reparations to those who live in war-torn regions.

Additionally, we hope to bring awareness to Americans about the cost of US Empire. The wars devastate those who live in the lands we invade and they impact us morally and financially here at home.

On Monday evening, renowned peace and social justice leader Cindy Sheehan took the microphone on a stage under the tent and introduced Kevin Zeese, co-founder of Voters for Peace. Zeese spoke about the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and the grotesquely obese US military budget. The statistics he presented were staggering.

Activist Cindy Sheehan revives anti-war efforts
By Oren Dorell | USA Today

Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan is restarting her campaign against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan today, setting up tents and teaching protest seminars near the Washington Monument.

Dubbed "Camp OUT NOW," the protest is geared to pressure President Obama and Democrats, whom Sheehan says have abandoned the anti-war cause now that they have control of the White House and Congress.

"Obama said there'd be one combat battalion coming home per month, and that has not happened," Sheehan says. "We still have significant troops in Iraq, and he's ramped up in Afghanistan.

"I don't think this is what people understood they were voting for. I think they were voting for a change."

White House officials declined to comment.

The number of U.S. servicemembers in Iraq have declined to 98,000 in February from a peak of 170,000 during President George W. Bush's surge. Obama has presided over plans to send 30,000 more servicemembers to Afghanistan and has expanded missile strikes against suspected militants in Pakistan and Yemen. Read more.

Crunch Time
By Missy Comley Beattie

Why do I laugh when a major newspaper’s headline is about Eric Massa’s “groping” history? That his staff was uncomfortable with his tickling routines? I guess because I’m reminded of all those Saturday Night Live noogies. Of course, those were skits. But, then, so are these, some among many in today’s political theatre. The Massa example, though, reeks of immaturity—the overly friendly behavior, touching in all the wrong places, is conduct that makes people skittish. And sickish.

Yes, I laugh but, then, so soon, I feel like crying.

Because the salacious is considered headline material or breaking news in our country, today.

Why no large type about the growing numbers of military suicides? Or that more and more troops who’ve had multiple deployments are unfit for service? Post-traumatic stress disorder is, well, very seldom stressed in our disordered world.

Why no photographs of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s parentless, limbless children whose lives have been forever shattered by our smart bombs?

Why no mention of antiwar actions, beginning this month in Washington, DC and lasting until the troops start returning home?

We’re past crunch time here in the USA.