Cindy Sheehan Calls It Quits

Anti-War Activist And Mom Of Killed G.I. In Iraq Resigns Role As "Face" Of Movement

(CBS/AP)  Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan announced Monday she is giving up her role as the "face" of the American anti-war movement.

"I've been wondering why I'm killing myself and wondering why the Democrats caved in to George Bush," Sheehan told The Associated Press by phone Tuesday while driving from her property in Crawford to the airport, where she planned to return to her native California.

"I'm going home for awhile to try and be normal," she said.

Sheehan, 49, of Vacaville, Calif., lost her 24-year-old son Casey in Iraq on April 4, 2004. She has since emerged as one of the most vocal and high-profile opponents of the war, drawing international attention nearly two years ago when she camped outside President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch to protest the war.

"I am going to take whatever I have left and go home. I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving children and try to regain some of what I have lost," Sheehan said.

"I am getting out before it totally consumes me or anymore people that I love and the rest of my resources," she said.

In announcing her decision in a statement released to the liberal blog Daily Kos, Sheehan said the protest had taken an enormous physical and emotional toll on her.

Sheehan said she had sacrificed a 29-year marriage and endured threats to put all her energy into stopping the war.

"I have used all my energy trying to stop this country from slaughtering innocent human beings. I have been called every despicable name that small minds can think of and have had my life threatened many times," Sheehan said.

But she said the most devastating conclusion she had reached "was that Casey did indeed die for nothing ... killed by his own country which is beholden to and run by a war machine that even controls what we think".

Fueling Sheehan's decision to end her public protest was frustration with national politics as well her unsuccessful attempts to work "within a peace movement that often puts personal egos above peace and human life."

"It is hard to work for peace when the very movement that is named after it has so many divisions," Sheehan said.

Cindy Sheehan started her protest small in August 2005, but it quickly drew national attention. Over the following two years, she drew huge crowds as she spoke at protest events, but she also drew a great deal of criticism.

When she had first taken on Mr. Bush, Sheehan was a darling of the liberal left. "However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the 'left' started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used," she wrote.

"I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of 'right or left', but 'right and wrong,"' the diary says.

Sheehan criticized "blind party loyalty" as a danger, no matter which side it involved, and said the current two-party system is "corrupt" and "rapidly descending into with nary a check or balance: a fascist corporate wasteland."

Sheehan paid for a 5-acre lot about 7 miles from Mr. Bush's ranch last month so protesters would have a place to gather while the president is at his ranch. Last year, she started out camped in ditches along the road leading to Mr. Bush's ranch, until county officials banned roadside parking and camping. A sympathetic landowner then let the group gather on his 1-acre lot near the ranch.

"Camp Casey has served its purpose," Sheehan said. "It’s for sale. Anyone want to buy five beautiful acres in Crawford, Texas? I will consider any reasonable offer. I hear George Bush will be moving out soon, too...which makes the property even more valuable."

[menofoz]

Ironic the Bush bootlickers are against illegal immigration. Yet it's GW that worked with that corrupt Mexican President Vicente Fox. Mexico has one of the most corrupt governments in the world. The US is being invaded by the poor Mexican people because their own corrupt government and wealthy owners of their society have stolen all of the peoples wealth and resources. What's frightening to most working Americans is that the US Attorney is a Hispanic of Mexican origin and the most corrupt AG in US history. While Bush bootlickers whine about Cindy S, the Republican elitists keep ramming their GW boot up their Ares.

[paulomartin1]

processor2 persists in repeating the lies of the past. Do your research about Tokyo Rose: the US media, courts and govenment betrayed US citizen Iva Toguri d'Aquino. She was convicted of treason on the basis perjured testimony against her. This was the most expensive trial in American history up until that time, and probably the most garishly trumped-up of all show trials, though these facts have been largely forgotten. She spent more than 6 years in prison and after release was served with a deportation order which took two years to fight. In 1976, the TV show 60 Minutes told the Tokyo Rose story from Toguri's point of view. This led to a full pardon for Toguri from President Gerald Ford in 1977.
The US military knew during the war that "Tokyo Rose" was not a individual, but it was useful wartime propaganda to promote the idea of the hidden enemy within... a tactic that still seems effective today.

[starleo146]

george2221 I'm sorry you were making a comment to someone else. Please forgive me

[processor2]

1) I suppose that after years of p-i-s-s-i-n-g on her son's grave, and the graves of all the other fallen soldiers, her bladder has finally emptied.
Posted by mike71067 at 09:37 AM : May 29, 2007
.
.
.
2) America hates you Cindy, there may be a few whackos left out there who would be stupid enough to commit treason against the united states. Also, when you sign up for the United States Military, any branch of service, they tell you beforehand that you might be killed, it is not a pretend Army, it is real. Terrorists are not pretend, they are real. The twin Towers fell and innocent people died, because religious zealots want us dead, that was real.
What is unreal is people like you who take everything from your country and give nothing to it, you bash everything our government has to say, slander our elected leaders, but, I will bet my bottom dollar you are going to want your social security check and medicare.
You, cindy , are a common piece of trash, good riddance.
Posted by yurpallid at 09:38 AM : May 29, 2007

BOTH ARE EXCELLENT POSTS

I'm sure liberals applauded Tokyo Rose during WWII the way they applaud Cindy ******* today.

...

[processor2]

1) I suppose that after years of p-i-s-s-i-n-g on her son's grave, and the graves of all the other fallen soldiers, her bladder has finally emptied.
Posted by mike71067 at 09:37 AM : May 29, 2007
.
.
.
2) America hates you Cindy, there may be a few whackos left out there who would be stupid enough to commit treason against the united states. Also, when you sign up for the United States Military, any branch of service, they tell you beforehand that you might be killed, it is not a pretend Army, it is real. Terrorists are not pretend, they are real. The twin Towers fell and innocent people died, because religious zealots want us dead, that was real.
What is unreal is people like you who take everything from your country and give nothing to it, you bash everything our government has to say, slander our elected leaders, but, I will bet my bottom dollar you are going to want your social security check and medicare.
You, cindy , are a common piece of trash, good riddance.
Posted by yurpallid at 09:38 AM : May 29, 2007

BOTH ARE EXCELLENT POSTS

I'm sure liberals applauded Tokyo Rose during WWII the way they applaud Cindy ******* today.

...

[processor2]

1) I suppose that after years of p-i-s-s-i-n-g on her son's grave, and the graves of all the other fallen soldiers, her bladder has finally emptied.
Posted by mike71067 at 09:37 AM : May 29, 2007
.
.
.
2) America hates you Cindy, there may be a few whackos left out there who would be stupid enough to commit treason against the united states. Also, when you sign up for the United States Military, any branch of service, they tell you beforehand that you might be killed, it is not a pretend Army, it is real. Terrorists are not pretend, they are real. The twin Towers fell and innocent people died, because religious zealots want us dead, that was real.
What is unreal is people like you who take everything from your country and give nothing to it, you bash everything our government has to say, slander our elected leaders, but, I will bet my bottom dollar you are going to want your social security check and medicare.
You, cindy , are a common piece of trash, good riddance.
Posted by yurpallid at 09:38 AM : May 29, 2007

BOTH ARE EXCELLENT POSTS

I'm sure liberals applauded Tokyo Rose during WWII the way they applaud Cindy ******* today.

...

[starleo146]

george2221-- quit talking about God (Jesus) you don't know him well enough.

[starleo146]

flreason you said it all thank you very much but honestly you will see these bushies do not see it as a whole picture they see it as going against bush and their beliefs whatever they are I can not claim at all to understand their minds. THANKS

[flreason]

singinrick et al- From what neocon blog did you adopt your view of Christianity? As I recall, words attributed to Jesus state: "Love your enemy. Do good to those who persecute you." How on earth do you translate that into justification for a holy war? I will fight to protect my family, but I don't believe in preemptive war. Our involvement in this preemptive action has squandered our moral standing in the world community and painted our leaders as corrupt, bullying ideologues. That has made us less safe, not more.

As for the treason charge--get serious. Speaking out against the actions of our government is protected by the U. S. Constitution. It has also been practiced by nearly every politician at one time or another, including the founding fathers. Ms. Sheehan is not plotting the overthrow of our government or colluding with a foreign power, she is exercising her right as a citizen to try to affect the policies of officials who are elected to office to serve the best interests of their constituents. It is the duty of constituents to make their views known to their representatives and to hold them accountable. That's how our republican form of democracy is supposed to work. You have the right to disagree with Cindy Sheehan, but it is cowardly to brand someone a "traitor" just because they don't agree with your politics. Spouting inflammatory rhetoric merely displays your prejudices. Until you can respond reasonably and respectfully, perhaps you need to talk less and listen more.

[binkboink]

RE: " I can't believe some of the posts I've read here today. Rethugs have no shame. They are utterly without ethics or morals or any bedrock of decency. What are all you girly men chickenhawks doing crouched over keyboards? why aren't you in Iraq? I guess you prefer to let others do the fighting and dying, like that draft dodging twit, bush." motherjones

Ethics, morals, decency? Is decency name calling as you just did? Evidently, it's OK if you trash talk but not others...

[motherjones-2009]

Who has better right to speak out against this fiasco in Iraq than a mother who lost her son there. I can't believe some of the posts I've read here today. Rethugs have no shame. They are utterly without ethics or morals or any bedrock of decency. What are all you girly men chickenhawks doing crouched over keyboards? why aren't you in Iraq? I guess you prefer to let others do the fighting and dying, like that draft dodging twit, bush. God bless you, Cindy. You deserve a rest.

[paulomartin1]

Why do people post ad-hominem comments and threats here?

There are 3 levels of conversation:
Lowest, destructive: talking about people; gossip.
Medium, trivial: talking about sports.
Highest, constructive: talking about ideas.

[mudrose-2009]

Forrestina Gump Sheehan is going back to GREENBOW ALABAMA!!!!! This poor trollup has NEVER figured out that she was being used by the left. She can go back to surfing online porn at home in CA.
Posted by Infidel_US

Yup.

[infidel_us]

Forrestina Gump Sheehan is going back to GREENBOW ALABAMA!!!!! This poor trollup has NEVER figured out that she was being used by the left. She can go back to surfing online porn at home in CA.

[mudrose-2009]

typical of you wanna be noncombatant vietnam vet era republican jackazzes. a complete loser, that could not fight your way out of a wet paper bag.
Posted by usadvisor101

My you are a dish rag.

[mudrose-2009]

If you tried to slap anyones face, you would get your azz kicked. your nothing but but a lying POS, with zero compassion for a woman that lost her son. america hates you chicken hawk pussyazzes. probush dicface.

she would kick your azz.
Posted by usadvisor101

I'm sure she would. She's a feminist. You like azz kicking woman, I'm sure. Fits your personality. Aaaaaa wimp!

[gunnerv1]

This is what happens to you when you don't tow the Liberal Party Line. (Of course hugging Hugo Chavez didn't help her cause either)

[mudrose-2009]

Infidel_US is Mudrose's Mom
Posted by tejasdemo

Jealous? I'll bet you have no mama. Seems to me that pople like you just evolve.

[tejasdemo]

Infidel_US is Mudrose's Mom

[klingon69]

As a college professor of WOMEN's STUDIES, I can bring some understanding and wisdom to this discussion. The MEN who are posting HATEFUL comments, are doing so as they are afraid of the castrating nature of MS Cindy ( my sister in the struggle !) comments, her cutting remarks, and "standing up" firmly to authority - all are seen by men as a way to insult their own manhood/ masculinity/authorization of self.

Now we got the Men bashers along with the Bush bashers.

Classes next September will be devoted to her lectures. Men in my classes must pledge to be silent, to keep the faith of leadership pure. Yes and be strong, like Cindy.

Ah, a class where one portion of the students must be quiet based upon their ***? Sounds a bit discriminatory(sp) to me.

All women have full rights to speak out, do and go where they want. Women have less rights here and Western Civilization vs. all other countries, which makes our society fearful of change, vis a vis a subcortical fear of castration.
These concepts are strongly erected on facts.
Posted by trueprogress at 02:07 AM : May 30, 2007

Strange you should tell us this is based on fact. That women have less rights here than in other countries? Ok, so those ladies in the middle east who can only show their eyes and walk 6 paces behind the man, not speak out in public. I guess they just do that for the style?