08/25/2005 Archived Entry: "Crawford"

People have asked my feelings about Cindy Sheehan, whose name I will not bother to hyperlink because she has gotten enough attention. I will try to be brief.

I have very strong feelings about her and her media-fueled attention grab. Contrary what she spouts for the cameras, she doesn't actually want answers--she's hurt, and she wants to lay blame because she thinks it will help he deal with her hurt. She wants, in short, to yell at the president. She doesn't want to talk to him, ask him anything, or do anything besides point a finger and scream "murderer murderer murderer!" because she can't handle losing her son.

Well, fuck her. Fuck her and fuck her pain. I have my own pain, and so does my family. I've seen my mother react to the pain of losing my brother in combat--the same pain that Sheehan is reacting to--with far more grace and aplomb. The bitch has had her say, done her little picket dance, and she needs to sit down, shut up, and go the fuck home. Every moment she is on television dirties every person in uniform. Every misdirected, stupid, malformed word she slobbers sullies her son's memory. The only thing she should feel is ashamed, and before she leaves and goes home, she should publically apologize to the soldiers who served in her son's squad for shitting so squarely on their fallen brother.

I suppose I'd feel differently if she hadn't ALREADY had her talk with the prez last year. She got time, as have most families of KIA soldiers. My parents had their time to talk to the president, too. And, apparently, she left her meeting with Bush thinking that he was a nice guy. However, after going home and thinking about it, NOW she's pissed?

There are certain things that this country owes the families of dead soldiers--but personal accountability and one-on-one time with the commander-in-chief are not among those things. Though they are young, the men and women serving are adults, not children, and they all chose to swear the oath. When a president goes beyond what is required and chooses to spend time with fallen soldiers' families, it is a privilege, not a right. And it's a privilege she's already enjoyed.

Want to honor your son? Go do something constructive. Donate money to buy stuff for his fellow soldiers. Start a scholarship. Build memorials. Take the $250,000 insurance payout you got when your son was killed and give it to moveon.org or some other PAC dedicated to the president's downfall. BUT FOR FUCK'S SAKE, GET THE FUCK OFF OF MY RADAR AND STOP PRETENDING YOU ARE OWED SOMETHING MORE THAN YOU HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN.

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