Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan (born July 10, 1957) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
anti-war activistThe term anti-war usually refers to the opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many activists...
whose son was killed during his service in the
Iraq WarThe Iraq War, also known as the Occupation of Iraq or Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a multinational force led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom.Prior to the war, the governments of the United...
on April 4, 2004. She attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 for her extended anti-war
protestProtest expresses relatively overt reaction to events or situations: sometimes in favor, though more often opposed. Protesters may organize a protest as a way of publicly and forcefully making their opinions heard in an attempt to influence public opinion or government policy, or may undertake...
at a
makeshift campCamp Casey was the name given to the encampment of anti-war protesters outside the Prairie Chapel Ranch ranch in Crawford, Texas during US President George W...
outside
PresidentThe President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in the United States by influence and recognition...
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
's
Texas ranchPrairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre estate located seven miles northwest of Crawford, Texas. The property was acquired by President George W...
— a stand which drew both
passionate support and angry criticism-Rhetoric:In 2005 in answer to critics from "righties and so-called 'fair and balanced' mainstream media" of her rhetorical style, Sheehan wrote: "The people who have come out to Camp Casey to help coordinate the press and events with me are not putting words in my mouth, they are taking words out...
. She ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2008.
Personal life
Cindy Sheehan was born in
Inglewood, CaliforniaInglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. In 2006, its population was estimated at 129,900. The city is in the South Bay region of the greater Los Angeles area...
in 1957. Her father worked at
Lockheed Martin CorporationLockheed Martin is a multinational aerospace manufacturer, global security and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed with Martin Marietta. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Lockheed Martin employs 146,000 people...
while her mother raised her family. She graduated with honors from
Cerritos CollegeCerritos College is a public comprehensive community college founded in 1955 located in Norwalk, California. It was named after Rancho Los Cerritos, a ranch that served prominently in the region in the 19th century...
and studied history at
UCLAThe University of California, Los Angeles is a research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, in the United States. It was founded in 1919 and is the second-oldest general-purpose campus in the University of California system...
. She worked as a
youth ministerThe phrase Catholic Youth Work covers a wide range of activities carried out with young people, usually in the name of the Catholic Church and with the intention of imparting the Catholic faith to them and inviting them to practice and live out the faith in their lives...
at St. Mary's Catholic Church in
Vacaville, CaliforniaVacaville, California is located in Solano County, California, United States, between Sacramento and San Francisco. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 88,625...
for eight years, and also coordinated an after-school program for at-risk
middle schoolMiddle school or junior high school serves as a "bridge" between elementary school and high school. The terms can be used in different ways in different countries, sometimes interchangeably...
children for the City of Vacaville. In 1977 she married Patrick Sheehan, in
Norwalk, CaliforniaNorwalk is a suburban city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 103,298 at the 2000 census. In 2009 the population was 107,698....
; they had four children, including
Casey SheehanCasey Austin Sheehan was a Specialist in the United States Army who was killed by enemy action while serving in the Iraq War. He is the son of Patrick Sheehan, a sales representative, and Cindy Sheehan, who subsequently became a prominent anti-war protester.-Early years:Sheehan joined the Cub...
(born in 1979), who was later killed in action in Iraq. Her marriage ended in the summer of 2005.
Sheehan recently stated on
Go Vegan RadioGo Vegan is a one-hour syndicated radio program in the United States, airing on the Air America Radio network. The show, which debuted on June 30, 2007, is hosted by Bob Linden, and airs Saturday afternoons from 2-3PM ET.-External links:**...
that she is a vegan.
Sheehan has a weekly radio show at
CindySheehanSoapbox.Org.
Anti-war campaign
Sheehan states she initially questioned the urgency of the
invasion of IraqThe 2003 invasion of Iraq, was led by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia, Denmark, Poland and Spain. Four countries participated with troops during the initial invasion phase, which lasted from March 20 to May 1...
, but did not become active in the anti-war effort until after her son's death.
Sheehan and other military families met with United States President
George W. BushGeorge Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and the 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000....
in June 2004 at
Fort LewisFort Lewis is a census-designated place and United States Army post in Pierce County and Thurston County, Washington, United States. The territory of Fort Lewis is not conterminous with the CDP, and is in fact much larger. As of the 2000 census, the CDP, which includes the most densely populated...
, near
Tacoma, WashingtonTacoma is a mid-sized urban port city in and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park...
, about three months after her son's death. In a June 24, 2004 interview with the Vacaville
Reporter, published soon after the meeting, she stated, "We haven't been happy with the way the war has been handled. The President has changed his reasons for being over there every time a reason is proven false or an objective reached." She also stated that President Bush was "... sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis.. I know feels no pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of war."
Sheehan gave another interview on October 4, 2004, stating that she did not understand the reasons for the Iraq invasion and never thought that
IraqIraq , officially the Republic of Iraq , also known as Mesopotamia, is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert.Iraq shares borders with Jordan to the west, Syria...
posed an imminent threat to the United States. She further stated that her son's death had compelled her to speak out against the war.
During the presidential inauguration in January 2005, Sheehan traveled to Washington, DC to speak at the opening of "Eyes Wide Open: the Human Cost of War", a traveling exhibition created by the
American Friends Service CommitteeThe American Friends Service Committee is a Religious Society of Friends affiliated organization which provides humanitarian relief and works for social justice, peace and reconciliation, human rights, and abolition of the death penalty...
that displays pairs of combat boots to represent US military casualties. She also traveled with the exhibition to other locations and donated her son Casey's boots, stating "Behind these boots is one broken-hearted family,"
Sheehan was one of the nine founding members of
Gold Star Families for PeaceGold Star Families for Peace is a United States based organization founded in January 2005 by individuals who lost family members in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and are thus entitled to display a Gold Star. It is considered an offshoot of Military Families Speak Out...
, an organization she created in January 2005 with other families she met at the inauguration. It seeks to end the US occupation of Iraq, and provides support for families of soldiers killed in Iraq.
In March 2005, James Morris sent an e-mail to ABC's Nightline allegedly written by Sheehan that included the statements that Casey Sheehan "was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel" and that he had "joined the Army to protect America, not Israel." Sheehan denies the allegations: "I've never said that... Those aren't even words that I would say. I do believe that the Palestinian issue is a hot issue that needs to be solved, and it needs to be more fair and equitable, but I never said my son died for Israel." In a statement she inferred that Morris modified the email, which Morris denied. Two other individuals stated they received a copy of the same email directly from Sheehan.
Sheehan attracted international attention in early August 2005, when she traveled to President Bush's
Prairie Chapel RanchPrairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre estate located seven miles northwest of Crawford, Texas. The property was acquired by President George W...
, just outside
Crawford, TexasCrawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best-known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
, demanding a second meeting with the President.
She told members of
Veterans for PeaceVeterans For Peace is an American organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The stated objective of...
,
"And the other thing I want him to tell me is 'just what was the noble cause Casey died for?' Was it freedom and democracy? Bullshit! He died for oil. He died to make your friends richer. He died to expand American imperialism in the Middle East."
She also vowed not to pay her federal income tax for 2004 because that was the year her son was killed.
Sheehan's actions led supporters such as
Rev. Lennox YearwoodLennox Yearwood, Jr., is a minister, community activist, and one of the most influential people in Hip Hop political life.He currently serves as President of the Hip Hop Caucus in Washington, D.C. The Hip Hop Caucus is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan, organization that engages young people in...
, CEO of the
Hip Hop CaucusThe Hip-Hop Caucus is a unique coalition of hip-hop artists, advocacy groups, labor unions, youth leadership organizations and individuals who believe in the collective power of hip-hop and persons born after 1964...
, to describe her as "the
Rosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement."...
of the antiwar movement." Later during the demonstration, Sheehan also gained the label of "Peace Mom" from the mainstream media.
2005 activism: Camp Casey
On August 6, 2005, Sheehan created a makeshift camp in a ditch by the side of the road about three miles (5 km) from President Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas and announced her intention to stay (sleeping in a pup tent at night) until she was granted a face-to-face meeting with the President. Sheehan started her protest the day the President started a planned five-week vacation.
A few days later, the media began referring to Sheehan's camp as "
Camp CaseyCamp Casey was the name given to the encampment of anti-war protesters outside the Prairie Chapel Ranch ranch in Crawford, Texas during US President George W...
."
She spent the next four weeks in Crawford (except for five days spent in
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
to see her elderly mother, who had suffered a
strokeA stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by thrombosis or embolism or due to a hemorrhage...
.) On some days as many as 1500 supporters visited Camp Casey, including members of Congress, as well as several notable actors, singers, and
civil rightsCivil and political rights are a class of rights and freedoms that protect individuals from unwarranted government action and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression....
activists.
Gold Star Families for Peace, of which Sheehan is a founding member, released a TV commercial featuring Sheehan, broadcast on Crawford and
WacoWaco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. The city has a 2008 estimated total population of 124,009. It is the 21st largest city by population in Texas, and 194th in the US...
cable channels near Bush's ranch. The group conducted a walk to a police station just outside Pres. Bush's Crawford ranch and delivered a bundle of oversized letters written by them to First Lady
Laura BushLaura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the forty-third President of the United States, George W. Bush, and was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2009....
, appealing to her as a mother for support towards their movement.
On August 16, Sheehan moved her camp closer to the Bush ranch after being offered the use of a piece of land owned by a supporter, Fred Mattlage, a third cousin of Larry Mattlage, a rancher who had fired a shotgun on his property near the demonstration site several days earlier.
In late August, Sheehan stated that she would continue to campaign against the Iraq war even if granted a meeting with Pres. Bush. She also announced the
Bring Them Home Now TourThe Bring Them Home Now Tour was a rolling anti-war protest against the Iraq War, beginning in Crawford, Texas, travelling three routes across the country and culminating in a rally in Washington, D.C. in September 2005...
, to depart on September 1 and arrive in
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, on September 24 for three days of demonstrations. On the third day, Sheehan and about 370 other anti-war activists were arrested for demonstrating on the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
sidewalk.
Later 2005 activism
Sheehan's supported the activism of
SacramentoSacramento, an Italian-, Spanish- and Portuguese-language word meaning sacrament, is a common toponym in parts of the world where those tongues were or are spoken....
activist
Stephen PearcyStephen Pearcy is an attorney and anti-war activist. He and his wife, Virginia Pearcy, first made national headlines in February 2005 after displaying a stuffed American soldier's uniform hung with a noose on their Sacramento home with the words, “Your Tax Dollars at Work.” After someone...
and his family who had placed a controversial display of a soldier with the words, "Bush Lied, I Died." The display received national media coverage. Sheehan and then-husband, Pat Sheehan, and about two hundred supporters of free speech and peace stood on one side of the street to defend the Pearcys’ message, while a roughly equal number of opponents of the Pearcys’ display (including
Melanie MorganMelanie Morgan is an American radio personality. She was formerly a host at KSFO in San Francisco where her husband, Jack Swanson, was the General Manager. She was recently laid off due to budget cutbacks and declining ad revenue. She has also previously worked as a reporter for KGO-TV...
and members of
Move America ForwardMove America Forward is a conservative political action group based in California that grew out of the campaign to recall California Governor Gray Davis. Move America Forward seeks to advance many conservative causes by lobbying of politicians at the local, state, and federal levels, through media...
) stood on the other side of the street while a line of police kept the two groups apart. Between 2005 and 2007, Sheehan attended several anti-war events in Sacramento organized by the Pearcys.
In September, the
Bring Them Home Now TourThe Bring Them Home Now Tour was a rolling anti-war protest against the Iraq War, beginning in Crawford, Texas, travelling three routes across the country and culminating in a rally in Washington, D.C. in September 2005...
was organized by
Gold Star Families for PeaceGold Star Families for Peace is a United States based organization founded in January 2005 by individuals who lost family members in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and are thus entitled to display a Gold Star. It is considered an offshoot of Military Families Speak Out...
,
Iraq Veterans Against the WarIraq Veterans Against the War is an advocacy group of American active duty military personnel, Iraq War veterans, Afghanistan War veterans, and other veterans who have served since 9/11 who are opposed to the U.S. occupation of Iraq...
,
Military Families Speak OutMilitary Families Speak Out is a US based anti Iraq war group.Military Families Speak Out was founded by two military families in November, 2002 to speak out against a U.S. invasion of Iraq to try to prevent the invasion....
, and
Veterans For PeaceVeterans For Peace is an American organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The stated objective of...
. Inspired by, and frequently featuring Cindy Sheehan as a speaker, it was a rolling anti-war protest against the Iraq War, beginning in
Crawford, TexasCrawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best-known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
, traveling three routes across the country (with rallies along the way) and culminating in a rally in Washington, DC in September 2005.
Sheehan returned to Texas to protest Bush taking a Thanksgiving vacation without bringing the soldiers home. In early December, Sheehan traveled to
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
to attend the annual
People's Weekly WorldThe People's Weekly World is the newspaper associated with the Communist Party USA.The People’s Weekly World / Nuestro Mundo is a national, grassroots weekly newspaper and the direct descendant of the Daily Worker, founded in 1924...
banquet.
In the winter of 2005/2006 Sheehan met with Senator
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, and later called him a "warmonger". She later protested Hillary Clinton's stance on the war, stating that Clinton must either speak out against the war or risk losing her job, and urged Governor
Janet NapolitanoJanet Ann Napolitano is the third United States Secretary of Homeland Security. She assumed the job on January 21, 2009, and is the first woman to serve in that office...
to withdraw the Arizona National Guard from Iraq at a rally in
PhoenixPhoenix is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the fifth most populous city in the United States...
. Sheehan said on October 24 during a media interview that she planned to speak at the White House and then tie herself to the fence. She and 28 others were arrested in a sit in at the White House on October 26th.
Sheehan went to
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in early December 2005 and was interviewed by
BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a domestic UK radio station that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967.-Outline:...
and by
The GuardianThe Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
. On December 10, Sheehan addressed the
International Peace ConferenceThe International Peace Conference was an anti-war conference held on December 10, 2005. It was organised by the Stop the War Coalition , and included speakers from Iraq, the United States, and Italy....
, organized by the
Stop the War CoalitionThe Stop the War Coalition is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars....
. Later in the evening, she attended the London Premiere of Peace Mom, a play written by
Dario FoDario Fo is an Italian satirist, playwright, theater director, actor, and composer. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997. In 2007 he was ranked Joint Seventh with Stephen Hawking in The Telegraphs list of 100 greatest living geniuses...
(Literature Nobel laureate) about her, in which the role of Sheehan was played by
Frances de la TourFrances de la Tour is an English actress perhaps best known for her role as Miss Ruth Jones in the British sitcom Rising Damp, and as Madame Olympe Maxime in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire....
. On December 13, Sheehan traveled to
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, where she met Irish Foreign Affairs minister
Dermot AhernDermot Christopher Ahern is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician and is the current Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. He is a Teachta Dála for the Louth constituency.- Early and private life :...
. She voiced her objection to U.S. aircraft refueling at
Shannon AirportShannon Airport is one of Ireland's three primary airports . It is the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland and the fourth busiest on the island of Ireland, with 3.1 million passengers in 2008...
, stating, "Your Government, even though they didn't send troops to Iraq, are complicit in the crimes by allowing the planes to land and refuel".
2006 activism
On January 31, Sheehan wore a T-shirt reading "2,245 Dead. How many more?" to Bush's
State of the Union"State Of The Union" is the debut single from British singer-songwriter David Ford. It had previously been featured as a demo on his official website, before appearing as a track on a CD entitled "Apology Demos EP," only on sale at live shows....
address and was removed and arrested by Capitol Police. Additionally, Beverly Young, the wife of Representative
Bill YoungCharles William "Bill" Young, also known as C. W. Bill Young, , American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1971, representing . Young is currently the longest-serving Republican member of Congress...
(
RThe Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP, despite being the younger of the two major parties. In the U.S...
.,
FlaFlorida is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the north. It was the 27th state admitted to the United States...
.), was told to leave because she was wearing a T-shirt that read "Support the Troops: Defending Our Freedom." As a matter of policy, visitors to Congress are not allowed to wear shirts containing type of any kind. Sheehan described the event:
On March 7, Sheehan was arrested in
New YorkNew York is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
"after blocking the door to the U.S. Mission to the U.N. offices" during a protest with Iraqi women against the war.
Sheehan took part in the
United For Peace and JusticeUnited for Peace and Justice is a coalition of more than 1,300 international and U.S.-based organizations opposed to "our government's policy of permanent warfare and empire-building."...
March in New York to protest the war on April 29, 2006.
In April 2006
City LightsCity Lights is a American silent romantic comedy film starring, written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. It also stars Virginia Cherrill and Harry Myers...
published Sheehan's
Dear President Bush, in which she wrote about Martin Luther King, Jr., civil disobedience, US foreign policy,
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
's devastation of New Orleans, military recruitment, her son Casey’s death on his 5th day in Iraq, soldiers who resist, and her personal transformation into America’s most outspoken advocate for peace. Howard Zinn wrote the introduction.
Sheehan has accused the United States of planning to attack
IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran is a country in Western Asia. The name Iran has been in use natively since the Sassanid period and came into international use from 1935, before which the country was known internationally as Persia...
in an effort to halt that nation's development of
nuclear weaponA nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion...
s. In two articles on
BuzzFlash, she said the passage of the
Iran Freedom and Support ActThe Iran Freedom Support Act is an Act of Congress that appropriated $10 million and directed the President of the United States to spend that money in support of groups opposed to the Iranian government...
was merely a stepping stone to war and called on Congress to reject similar measures in the future.
On
Mother's DayThe modern Mother's Day holiday was created by Anna Jarvis in Grafton, West Virginia, as a day to honor mothers and motherhood; especially within the context of families, and family relationships. It is now celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, some of which have a much older...
, Sheehan joined
Susan SarandonSusan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1970, and won an Oscar for her performance in the 1995 film, Dead Man Walking...
at a
Code PinkCode Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington DC, and many more U.S. chapters as well as several worldwide...
organized protest in
Lafayette ParkPresident's Park, located in Washington, D.C., encompasses the White House, a visitor center, Lafayette Park, and The Ellipse. President's Park was the original name of Lafayette Park and Square. The current President's Park is administered by the National Park Service.-White House:Washington, D.C...
, across the street from the White House. Sheehan told the crowd that Mother's Day without her son was "very emotional" for her.
On May 26, Sheehan spoke at a rally in
MelbourneMelbourne is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne city centre is the anchor of the larger geographical area and statistical division known as the Greater Melbourne metropolitan area – of which Melbourne is...
,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
. The rally was held in front of the offices of the Victorian
Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, and it was in support of the release of David Hicks.
Several organizations planned a
hunger strikeA hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
for July 4 in which Sheehan stated she would participate, but would not be fasting indefinitely as some others had pledged to do. "Some of us, like
Dick GregoryDick Gregory is an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur....
and Diane Wilson, will be fasting until the troops come home from Iraq, and some, like me, will be fasting for a specified time. Her fast was a full liquid diet.
On July 5, Sheehan appeared on
MSNBCMSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States and available in both the US and Canada. Its name is a combination of "MSN" and "NBC"....
's
Hardball with Chris MatthewsHardball with Chris Matthews is a talk show on MSNBC, broadcast weekdays at 5 and 7 PM hosted by Chris Matthews. It originally aired on now-defunct America's Talking and later CNBC. The current title was derived from a book Matthews wrote in 1988, Hardball: How Politics is Played Told By One Who...
to discuss the war and her upcoming hunger strike. On the show, she called Bush "the biggest terrorist in the world" and "worse than
Osama Bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden is a member of the prominent Saudi bin Laden family and one of the founders of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda, best known for the September 11 attacks on the United States and its associations with numerous other mass-casualty attacks against...
," and conceded that she would rather live under
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
's
Hugo ChávezHugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the President of Venezuela. As the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Chávez promotes a political doctrine of participatory democracy, socialism and Latin American and Caribbean cooperation...
than Bush. Later that month, Sheehan purchased of land in Crawford, Texas, near Bush's private residence. In a written statement, Sheehan wrote that she "decided to buy property in Crawford to use until George's resignation or impeachment, which we all hope is soon for the sake of the world." She also stated that she "can't think of a better way to use Casey's insurance money than for peace", and that she is sure that her son would have approved. In an interview on
The Stephanie Miller ShowThe Stephanie Miller Show is a syndicated progressive talk radio program that discusses politics, current events, and pop culture using a fast-paced, impromptu style. The three-hour show is hosted by comedienne Stephanie Miller along with voice artist Jim Ward and the show's engineer and executive...
, Sheehan said that once her need for the land is over, she intends to donate the land to Crawford for the purpose of converting it into The Casey Sheehan Memorial Peace Park.
In September, Sheehan released her memoir, entitled
Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism. The book recounts her experience of losing her son, along with
fantasiesA fantasy is a situation imagined by an individual or group, which does not correspond with reality but expresses certain desires or aims of its creator. Fantasies typically involve situations which are impossible or highly unlikely...
of
suicideSuicide is the intentional killing of one's self. Many dictionaries also note the metaphorical sense of "willful destruction of one's self-interest"...
and revenge against Bush, and her transformation into an anti-war activist. Also included in the book are criticisms of several other politicians, including: Senator John McCain, whom she accuses of lying to the media about his private statements to her;
John KerryJohn Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, and is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee....
, whom she says she regrets voting for; and Hillary Clinton, whom she calls a "powermonger." While she could not participate for health reasons, Sheehan allowed her supporters to set up Camp Casey at Camp Democracy in early September.
On December 10, Sheehan participated in a pro-impeachment forum at
Fordham UniversityFordham University is a private university in the United States, with three campuses located in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
alongside Carolyn Ho, mother of
Ehren WatadaEhren Watada is a First Lieutenant of the United States Army who in June, 2006, refused to deploy to Iraq for his unit's assigned rotation to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Watada said he believed the war to be illegal and that, under the doctrine of command responsibility, it would make him party to...
, the first commissioned Army officer to refuse to go to Iraq.
2007 activism
On January 6, 2007 she traveled to
CubaThe Republic of Cuba is an island country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city. Cuba is home to over 11 million people and is...
and called for the closure of the U.S. military prison in
Guantánamo BayGuantánamo Bay is a bay located in Guantánamo Province at the southeastern end of Cuba . It is the largest harbor on the south side of the island and is surrounded by steep hills creating an enclave cut off from its immediate hinterland....
, Cuba. She also visited the Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM) where she declared: "I am impressed by the school, the quality of the students. I have never seen anything like it in the world; it doesn’t matter what part of the world we come from, or the fact that our governments don’t get along, we have the same hearts and they are filled with love."
In
Springfield, VermontSpringfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 9,078 at the 2000 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, the township was chartered on August 20, 1761 by Governor Benning Wentworth and awarded to Gideon Lyman and 61 others...
, on March 4, 2007, Sheehan gave a speech at the Unitarian Universalist Church about impeaching Bush and ending the war.
Cindy Sheehan planned on visiting
Purdue UniversityPurdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six campuses within the Purdue University System...
, on April 12 2007, to give a speech on President Bush and the war in Iraq. This visit caused controversy locally and Purdue University enacted security measures not normally used around a guest speaker, such as banning signs or banners from the speech location. Some students let their opinion be known as Sheehan had a hard time speaking over the chorus of boos from those in attendance. At one point in her speech, she referred to the students heckling her as "warmongers."
Cindy Sheehan was invited by the May 4th Task Force as part of a yearly event remembering the
Kent State ShootingsThe Kent State shootings, also known as the May 4 massacre or Kent-State massacre, occurred at Kent State University in the city of Kent, Ohio, and involved the shooting of unarmed college students by members of the Ohio National Guard on Monday, May 4, 1970...
. After ringing the Kent State bell 32 times to honor the recent
Virginia Tech massacreThe Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place April 16, 2007 on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and...
, Cindy Sheehan spoke to a crowded gathering of students, activists and adults from all over the region.
On July 2, Sheehan started a podcast together with
Mary MorelloMary Morello founded in 1987 the anti-censorship group Parents For Rock And Rap
called
The Mary Morello and Cindy Sheehan Show.
On May 26 and May 28, 2007, Sheehan officially left the Democratic Party after the Democratic-controlled Congress passed a bill authorizing the continued funding of the war in Iraq, and submitted her resignation as the "face" of the American anti-war movement via two messages posted to
Daily KosDaily Kos is an American political blog, publishing news and opinion from a liberal or progressive point of view. It functions as a discussion forum and group blog for a variety of netroots activists, whose efforts are primarily directed toward influencing and strengthening the Democratic Party...
, stating that she wanted to go home and be a mother to her surviving children.
On July 3, 2007, in response to President Bush's commutation of Scooter Libby's sentence, Cindy Sheehan returned to activism. She asserted that she would take a new approach to the anti-war movement, but that Bush's recent action "dragged me kicking and screaming back in."
2008 challenge to Pelosi for U.S. House seat
In July 2007, Sheehan had announced that she would run against
Speaker of the HouseSpeaker of the House is a political term referring to a number of people:*In the United Kingdom and Canada, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the individual elected to preside over the elected House of Commons...
Nancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
based on her failure to attempt impeachment of Bush. Up until her run for U.S. Congress, Sheehan lived outside Pelosi's district, in
Dixon, CaliforniaDixon is a city in northern Solano County, California, United States, located from the state capital, Sacramento. The population was 16,103 at the 2000 census. Other nearby cities include Vacaville, Winters and Davis....
; however, she moved to San Francisco's Mission District, after declaring her candidacy. Earlier, in 2006, she had spoken of ambitions to challenge
Dianne FeinsteinDianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California and a member of the Democratic Party. Feinstein was first elected to the U.S...
for her seat in the
United States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate and the House are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution . Each U.S state is represented by two senators,...
.
In 2008 Sheehan focused on her campaign. She ran on a platform of
single-payer health careSingle-payer health care is a public service financing the delivery of near-universal or universal health care to a given population as defined by age, citizenship, residency, or any other demographic....
, media reform, overturning all free trade agreements, repealing the Patriot Act, renewable energy, nationalizing oil and electricity, ending the
War on DrugsThe War on Drugs refers to the controversial prohibition campaign undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade. This initiative includes a set of laws and policies that are intended to...
, legalizing
cannabisCannabisalso known as marijuana or marihuana, and ganja , among many other namesrefers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug...
, ensuring all talks in the Middle East are fair to all parties, ending torture, closing Guantanamo Bay detention camp, overseas commitment to cleaning up
SuperfundSuperfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up abandoned hazardous waste sites Superfund created the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry , and it provides broad...
sites, ending
deregulationDeregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
, ending No Child Left Behind, and legalizing
same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is a term used to describe a legally or socially recognized marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Other terms used to describe this type of recognition include gay marriage or gender-neutral marriage.Same-sex marriage is a civil rights,...
. Sheehan lost the 2008 election to U.S. Speaker of the House
Nancy PelosiNancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
. In a seven-way race, Sheehan came in second with 46,118 votes (16.14%).
2009 activism
On June 8, 2009; Sheehan led a protest near former President Bush's home in the wealthy north Dallas neighborhood of Preston Hollow.
In August, 2009, Sheehan protested at
Martha's VineyardMartha's Vineyard is an island off the south of Cape Cod in New England. The islands both forming a part of the Outer Lands region....
during President
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
's stay there. According to ABC News: "Sheehan invoked Sen. Ted Kennedy's passing as part of her message, noting that he was firmly anti-war and how he said his proudest vote as a senator was his 2002 vote against the Iraq war."
On October 5 Sheehan was arrested with sixty others at the White House protesting President Obama's continuation of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She told
CNNCable News Network, almost always referred to by its initialism CNN, is an U.S. cable news network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first network to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television network in the United States...
: "I think the mood of the country and the mood of our movement is getting a little bit more desperate, and (that) this will be the time to be able to translate our tireless activism and work for peace."
See also
- American popular opinion on invasion of Iraq
The United States public’s opinion of the invasion of Iraq has changed significantly since the years preceding the incursion. For various reasons, mostly related to the unexpected consequences of the invasion, the US public’s perspective on its government’s choice to initiate an offensive is...
- Civil liberties
Civil liberties are rights in Freedom that protect an individual from the government of the nation in which they reside. Civil liberties set limits on government so that its members cannot abuse their power and interfere unduly with the lives of private citizens.Common civil liberties include the...
- Movement to impeach George W. Bush
During the presidency of George W. Bush, several American politicians sought to either investigate Bush for allegedly impeachable offenses, or to bring actual impeachment charges on the floor of the United States House of Representatives...
- Nadia McCaffrey
Nadia McCaffrey was born April 17,1945 in Paris, France and married an American, Bob McCaffrey; then she immigrated to the United States. She is the founder of Angel Staff, a group of volunteers who bring a caring presence to terminally ill patients and their families. Her son and only child,...
, anti-war activist
- Opposition to the Iraq War
There has been significant opposition to the Iraq War across the world, both before and during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States,the United Kingdom and smaller contingents from other nations, and throughout the subsequent occupation...
- Protests against the Iraq War
Beginning in 2002, and continuing after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, protests against the Iraq War were held in many cities worldwide, often coordinated to occur simultaneously around the world...
- Support and criticism of Cindy Sheehan
-Rhetoric:In 2005 in answer to critics from "righties and so-called 'fair and balanced' mainstream media" of her rhetorical style, Sheehan wrote: "The people who have come out to Camp Casey to help coordinate the press and events with me are not putting words in my mouth, they are taking words out...
- Views on the 2003 invasion of Iraq
The events surrounding the 2003 invasion of Iraq have led to numerous expressions of opinion with respect to the war. This page contains links to several topics relating to views on the invasion, and the subsequent occupation of Iraq.American views...
External links