Wednesday, August 17th, 2005
The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford (Day 11); Putting out fires

-- a message from Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, TX
http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php

The right wingers are really having a field day with me. It hurts me really badly, but I am willing to put up with the crap, if it ends the war a minute sooner than it would have. I would like to address some specific concerns that have been raised against me.

The first one is about my divorce. I addressed this on my blog the other night. My divorce was in the works way before I came out to Crawford. My husband filed the papers before this all started. It just recorded last Friday. My husband didn’t know that it would become public record, and public knowledge. He had told his lawyer not to serve me with the paperwork or even bother me while I was at Camp Casey. He was trying to do the right thing. He didn’t want me to find out. Enough about that.

Another “big deal” today was the lie that I had said that Casey died for Israel. I never said that, I never wrote that. I had supposedly said it in a letter that I wrote to Ted Koppel’s producer in March. I wrote the letter because I was upset at the way Ted treated me when I appeared at a Nightline Town Hall meeting in January right after the inauguration. I felt that Ted had totally disrespected me. I wrote the letter to Ted Bettag and cc’d a copy to the person who gave me Ted’s address. I believe he changed the email and sent it out to capitalize on my new found notoriety by promoting his own agenda. Enough about that.

I didn’t blog about the cross incident last night. I was at the Peace House when there was a big commotion and people started saying that someone had run over our Arlington Crawford display. I know this is old news because I have seen great posts about it today. This is how I feel. The right wingers are emailing me and spewing filth about me on the radio and on the television saying that I am dishonoring my son’s memory. This man who ran over the crosses thinks he is a better American than we are. He thinks he is more patriotic than we are. Does he really believe that he is honoring the memories of the fallen and his country by running down 500 crosses and about 60 American flags? The Iraq Veterans Against the War who were here were also very offended. Those crosses represented their buddies who didn’t make it home. And they are so aware of the fact that one of those crosses could have their name on it.

Yesterday, we had a counter protestor who played his guitar across the way from us and sang (very terribly!!!) a song that loosely went like this:

Aiding and abetting the enemy.
How many ghosts did you make today?
Google me this, Google me that,
How many ghosts did you make today?

I find it so ironic that he was singing it to me, and not to George Bush. We named the song: The Ballad of George Bush. He came back out today, but blessed be to God, he didn’t bring his guitar, and he didn’t sing.

We are moving to a place that doesn’t have much shade and I put out an appeal for tarps and a soldier from Ft. Hood brought some to us that he “borrowed” from Ft. Hood for us to use. I have had a lot of soldiers from Ft. Hood come out and tell me to keep it up and that I am doing a good thing. We are doing this to honor Casey and the other fallen heroes in their memories. But we are doing it FOR the people of Iraq and the other soldiers who are in harm’s way right now. Right after we heard about the crosses last night, a Camp Casey volunteer found out that a pen pal she had in Iraq was KIA on August 12th. This has to stop, now. We will stop it.

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(DO SOMETHING)


Michael Moore Gives Website to CINDY :http://www.michaelmoore.com/

Michael Moore has dedicated his website to Cindy Sheehan, Check it out
and pass it on !

Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!
Address:http://www.michaelmoore.com/

PLUS

Rumsfeld's Pro War March to be held on 9-11-2005
But Requires You to get a Background Check to be able to participate
! ? Looks like Democrats are getting a chance to see what Blacks felt
like 50 years ago.

Address:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/index.php?id=3721



SOURCE:



UPDATES ON CINDY SHEEHAN VISIT TO CRAWFORD
Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005
(Reverse Time Order — More Recent Entries Toward Top)

Camp Casey coordinator Ann Wright has issued an appeal. The van that has been used recently to accomodate media interviews is being called out of service and there is now an immediate need for a replacement. Anyone interested in loaning or providing such a van for use by Sheehan should call Wright at 808-741-1141. She explained that this need is somewhat urgent.

2:45 p.m.
Deborah Mathews reporting for The Iconoclast

The Iconoclast staff has been attempting to draw up a rough map showing how to reach the new Camp Casey. It can be accessed by clicking here.
http://198.65.14.85/News/2005/31-40/33news15.htm

Members of the Texas Coalition for an Independent Judiciary met at the Crawford Post Office Wednesday morning to send empty boxes to the White House. Coalition members called on President Bush to fill the boxes with documents from Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' record as a deputy solicitor general in the first Bush administration. For the story, click here.
http://198.65.14.85/News/2005/31-40/33news14.htm

Phone Interview with Ann Wright of Camp Casey:

“WE NEED LOTS AND LOTS OF TRAFFIC CONES AND ROPE!!”

Camp supporters are currently discussing options for the big move to the one acre patch of land. “We’re excited about moving. I think this is the closest protest site that has been to the White House. We will be right next to a Secret Service checkpoint,” said Wright.

Supporters are encouraged to use the shuttle out to Camp Casey, as parking remains a problem.

Earlier reports were of a donation of 212 acres across from the new campsite to be used for parking. That offer has changed and campers will be restricted to the one acre; however, a very large tent will be erected to provide the shade that this new site doesn’t offer. Also, Wright explains, “We are bringing in trailers to help with interviews and so forth. There will be bathroom facilities and cooking facilities as well.”

This morning, we were told that the crosses (Arlington Crawford the campers have come to call it) will in fact be moved to the new site. Wright said, “We have evaluated the best area where the most impact will be made.”

Wright again asks, “PLEASE, WE NEED CONES AND ROPE!”

9:35 a.m. — Phone Press Conference with Fred Mattlage
Deborah Mathews reporting for The Iconoclast

Local landowner Fred Mattlage, a distant relative of Larry Mattlage, held a telephone press conference this morning at 8:30 to explain his reasons for donating land to Cindy Sheehan and Camp Casey.

“I wanted to provide this property as a place where they could peacefully assemble,” he said. “This was an act of compassion to a mother whose lost her son.”

Mattlage is a 52-year-old self-employed small business owner who resides in Waco. He is a distant relative of Larry Mattlage, the man who fired the shotgun into the air on Sunday.

The property he is offering is co-owned by his brothers Karl and Mark and sister, Patricia. Brother Mark actually owns the one acre tract where the new camp site will be. This one acre is at the corner of Prairie Chapel Road and Camen Church Road. Directly across from the one acre, the Mattlages own a 212-acre tract, which they will make available for parking purposes.

The 212-acre tract is to be opened today at 10 a.m. by Mattlage. He is asking that Camp Casey supporters have a person at the gate of the property at all times due to the fact that there are cattle on the site. Gates will have to be kept shut.

Mattlage went on to say, “These people did not approach me at any time. I went to the Peace House in Crawford to offer the land, but it is not my desire to put them in closer proximity to the President. I only want to alleviate some of the problems with the residents.”

Mattlage also said, “The gun shots (by Larry Mattlage) did not play into my decision. This has nothing to do with family.”

When asked about any parallels to his own time in the military service — 1972-1974 with the 82nd Airborn Division of the U.S. Army — Mattlage responded with, “There really is no comparison, but our country should have a good reason to committ our boys to combat. Maybe we didn’t learn a valuable enough lesson from Vietnam.”

Mattlage said that he is not really a supporter (of Sheehan or the President) either way. “I don’t really agree with the policy of being in the war.”

Mattlage has had no contact with the White House.

A camp supporter said, “It is unlikely that we will move today. We are using this time to figure out how to best to begin the move. We need to get some shade up first. The plan is to begin moving by the end of tomorrow or early on Friday, before our inter-faith meeting.”

Editor's Note: Permission is granted to reprint the information and photographs appearing in this feature about Cindy Sheehan's visit to Crawford and activities at The Peace House. Attribution would be appreciated. Recordings, if any, may also be reproduced, with credit. — W. Leon Smith, publisher, The Lone Star Iconoclast

SUPPORT THE ICONOCLAST BY SUBSCRIBING TO THE ONLINE REPRODUCTION (pdf) OF THE PRINT EDITION OF THE ICONOCLAST. THREE MONTHS FOR JUST $10. SEE FRONT PAGE.
http://198.65.14.85/News/2005/31-40/33news13.htm

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