Casey Sheehan, May 29, 1979 - April 4, 2004
For Casey
To listen to "President" Bush's State of the Union address last week, you'd think that every mother who has lost a son in his illegal, immoral, unprovoked and imperialistic war in Iraq for the war profiteering of Dick Cheney's Halliburton and other subsidiaries of BushCheneyCorp believes that her son died for democracy, a culture of life, freedom marching on, blah blah blah.
Bush said this during his State of the Union address:
One name we honor is Marine Corps Sgt. Byron Norwood of Pflugerville, Texas, who was killed during the assault on Fallujah. His mom, Janet, sent me a letter and told me how much Byron loved being a Marine, and how proud he was to be on the front line against terror.
She wrote, "When Byron was home the last time, I said that I wanted to protect him like I had since he was born. He just hugged me and said, 'You've done your job, Mom. Now it is my turn to protect you.'" Ladies and gentlemen, with grateful hearts, we honor freedom's defenders, and our military families, represented here this evening by Sgt. Norwood's mom and dad, Janet and Bill Norwood.
I take it that the Norwoods support Bush or they wouldn't have been at the State of Union address and that Bush certainly wouldn't have mentioned them in his address. I take it that they support Bush even though Fallujah was not "the front line against terror" until after the Bush regime invaded Iraq in March 2003 against the wishes of the United Nations and against world opinion. That they support Bush even though 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, the ruling dynasty of which is tight with the Bush dynasty, and even though not a single one of those hijackers was from Iraq. Even though Iraq never possessed the weapons of mass destruction that were the pretext for the March 2003 invasion and the ongoing occupation.
I don't know the Norwoods. Maybe they desperately need to believe that their son died for a good cause -- for freedom and democracy, blah blah blah, and not for oil and for war profiteering and for the evil plans of stupid white men to militarily dominate the entire fucking globe.
Cindy Sheehan wasn't at the State of the Union address, and that's because she feels that her son's death in Iraq wasn't worth it.
Cindy, of Vacaville, Calif., is the mother of Casey Sheehan, who was killed in action on April 4, 2004, in Sadr City in Iraq. He was 24 years old.
She spoke at the Democracy for America Meetup in Sacramento last week. At the Meetup she read this moving essay that she wrote, which is titled "Not Worth My Son's Sacrifice" (the essay, which is dated Feb. 2, appears on buzzflash.com):
I was supposed to be on the "Larry King Live" show last night. I was asked to be on the show to offer my opinion on the election in Iraq from the perspective of a mom whose son was killed in the war prior to the elections. One of the questions I was going to be asked was: Do I think my son's sacrifice was "worth it"? Well, I didn't get a chance to be on the show last night, because I was bumped for something that is really important: The Michael Jackson trial.
If I was allowed to go on "Larry King Live" last night and give my opinion about the elections and about my son's sacrifice, this is what I would have told Mr. King and his viewers:
My son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, enlisted in the Army to protect America and give something back to our country. He didn't enlist to be used and misused by a reckless commander in chief who sent his troops to pre-emptively attack and occupy a country that was no imminent threat (or any threat) to our country. Casey was sent to die in a war that was based on the imagination of some neo-cons who love to fill our lives with fear.
Casey didn't agree with the "mission," but being the courageous and honorable man that he was, he knew he had to go to this mistake of a war to support his buddies. Casey also wondered aloud many times why precious troops and resources were being diverted from the real war on terror.
Casey was told that he would be welcomed to Iraq as a liberator with chocolates and rose petals strewn in front of his unarmored Humvee. He was in Iraq for two short weeks when the Shi'ite rebel "welcome wagon" welcomed him to Baghdad with bullets and RPGs, which took his young and beautiful life. I think my son's helmet and Vietnam-era flak jacket would have protected him better from the chocolates and flower petals.
Casey was killed after George Bush proclaimed "Mission Accomplished" on May 1, 2003 -- he was also killed after Saddam was captured in December of that same year. Casey was killed before the transfer of power in June of 2004 and before these elections. Four marines were tragically killed after the election. By my count, about five dozen Iraqis and coalition troops were killed on Election Day -- is that the definition of "catastrophic success"? But is that a good day in Iraq?
Hundreds of our young people and thousands of Iraqis have been needlessly and senselessly murdered since George Bush triumphantly announced an end to "major combat" almost two years ago now. All of the above events have been heralded by this administration as "turning points" in the "war on terror" -- or as wonderful events in the "march of democracy." Really? I don't think, judging by very recent history, that the elections will stop the bloodshed and destruction.
I would have asked Mr. King if he would want to sacrifice one of his children for sham elections in Iraq. Would he or George Bush send their children to be killed, or maimed for life, for a series of lies, mistakes and miscalculations? Now that every lie has been exposed to the light for the invasion and occupation of Iraq -- why are our sons and daughters still there? Not one more drop of blood should be spilled for this pack of lies.
This war was sold to the American people by a slimy leadership with a maniacal zeal and phony sincerity that would have impressed snake oil salesmen a century ago. The average American needs to hear from people who have been devastated by the arrogance and ignorance of an administration that doesn't even have the decency or compassion to sign our "death" letters.
In the interest of being "fair and balanced" (oops, wrong network), I would have been pitted against a parent who still agrees with the "mission" and the president. Although I grieve for that parent's loss and I respect that parent's opinion, I would have defied Mr. King or that parent to explain the "mission" to me. I don't think anyone can do it with a straight face.
The president has also stated that we need to keep our troops in Iraq to honor our sacrifices by completing this elusive and ever-changing "mission." My response to him is: Just because it is too late for Casey and the Sheehan family, why would we want another innocent life taken, in the name of this chameleon of a "mission"?
Well, I was bumped from the show anyway. Now that Scott Peterson has been convicted and sentenced for his crimes and Laci and Connor's families have the justice they deserve, we have the new "trial of the century" to keep our minds off of the nasty and annoying fact that we are waging an immoral war in Iraq. We can fill our TV screens and homes with the glorified images of the Michael Jackson molestation trial. We can fill our lives with outrage over MJ's victims and hope they get justice; not even questioning the fact that George Bush, his dishonest cabinet, and their misguided policies aren't even brought to the court of public opinion.
We won't have to confront ourselves with the fact that the leaders of our country and their lies are responsible for the deaths of 1,438 brave Americans -- [and] tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis -- and the loss of our nation's credibility throughout the world. That might mean we would have to turn off our television sets and do something about it.
Oh, yeah. In answer to the original question, Larry: No, it wasn't worth it!!
Cindy and her husband and others who have lost loved ones in George W. Bush's immoral and illegal war in Iraq -- including Lila Lipscomb, who was featured in Michael Moore's documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" -- have formed an organization, Gold Star Families for Peace. This is the organization's mission statement, from its Web site:
We as families of soldiers who have died as a result of war (primarily, but not limited to the invasion/occupation of Iraq) are organizing to be a positive force in our world to bring our country’s sons and daughters home from Iraq, to minimize the human cost of this war, and to prevent other families from the pain we are feeling as the result of our losses. We are also hoping to be lifetime support for each other through our losses.
Purpose
Ways to Achieve Our Purpose
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Provide support and empower those who have been victimized by the invasion/occupation of Iraq.
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Raise awareness in the United States about the true human costs of the invasion/occupation of Iraq.
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Reach out to families who have lost a loved one as a result of war.
Who Can Join?
Anyone who has had a relative killed as a result of war (primarily, but not limited to, the invasion/occupation of Iraq).
There also is a Web page for Casey Sheehan titled "Casey's Peace Page."
On the Web page is another writing of Cindy Sheehan's that I think is worth sharing. It is titled "An Open Letter to George Bush" and it is dated Nov. 4, 2004:
Dear George,
You don’t mind if I call you George, do you? When you sent me a letter offering your condolences on the death of my son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, in the illegal and unjust war on Iraq, you called me Cindy, so I naturally assume we are on a first-name basis.
George, it has been seven months today since your reckless and wanton foreign policies killed my son, my big boy, my hero, my best friend: Casey. It has been seven months since your ignorant and arrogant lack of planning for the peace murdered my oldest child. It has been two days since your dishonest campaign stole another election …but you all were way more subtle this time than in 2000, weren’t you? You hardly had to get the Supreme Court of the United States involved at all this week.
You feel so proud of yourself for betraying the country again, don’t you? You think you are very clever because you pulled the wool over the eyes of some of the people again. You think that you have some mandate from God …that you can “spend your political capital” any way that you want.
George, you don’t care or even realize that 56,000,000-plus citizens of this country voted against you and your agenda. Still, you are going to continue your ruthless work of being a divider and not a uniter.
George, in 2000, when you stole that election and the Democrats gave up, I gave up too. I had the most ironic thought of my life then: "Oh, well, how much damage can he do in four years?" Well, now I know how much you have damaged my family, this country, and this world.
If you think I am going to allow you another four years to do even more damage, then you truly are mistaken. I will fight for a true vote count and if that fails, your impeachment. Also, the impeachment of your vice president. The only thing is, I'm not politically savvy and I don't have a Karl Rove to plan my strategy, but I do have a big mouth and a righteous cause, which still mean something in this country, I hope.
All of this lying, fooling, and betraying must be “hard work,” George. You really think you know what hard work is?
George, let me tell you what “hard work” really is.
Hard work is seeing your oldest son, your brave and honorable man-child go off to a war that had, and still has, no basis in reality.
Hard work is worrying yourself gray and not being able to sleep for two weeks because you don’t know if your child is safe.
Hard work is seeing your son’s murder on CNN one Sunday evening while you’re enjoying the last supper you’ll ever truly enjoy again.
Hard work is having three military officers come to your house a few hours later to confirm the aforementioned murder of your son …your firstborn …your kind and gentle sweet baby.
Hard work is burying your child 46 days before his 25th birthday. Hard work is holding your other three children as they lower the body of their big “baba” into the ground. Hard work is not jumping in the grave with him and having the earth cover you both.
But, Dear George, do you know what the hardest work of all is? Trying to digest the fact that the leader of the country that your family has fought for and died for, for generations, lied to you and betrayed your dear boy’s sense of honor and exploited his courage and exploited his loyalty to his buddies.
Hard work is having your country abandon you after they killed your son.
Hard work is coming to the realization that your son had his future robbed from him and that you have had your son's future and future grandchildren stolen from you.
Hard work is knowing that there are so many people in this world that have prospered handsomely from your son's death.
George, I must confess that I and my family worked very HARD to re-defeat you this time, but you refuse to stay defeated. Well, we are watching you very carefully. We are going to do everything in our power to have you impeached for misleading the American people into a disastrous war and for misusing and abusing your power as commander in chief.
We are going to scream until our last breath to bring the rest of our babies home from this quagmire of a war that you have gotten our country into -- before too many more families learn the true meaning of hard work.
We know it is going to be an uphill battle, knowing how Republican Congress is, but thanks to you, we know the meaning of hard work and we’re not afraid of hard work at all.
The 56,000,000-plus citizens who voted against you and your agenda have given me a mandate to move forward with my agenda. Also, thanks to you and your careless domestic policies, I am unemployed, so this will be my full-time job. Being your political downfall will be the most noble accomplishment of my life and it will bring justice for my son and 1,125 (so far) other brave Americans and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis your lies have killed.
By the way, George, how many more innocent Iraqis are your policies going to kill before you convince them that you are better than Saddam? How many more of their cities are you going to level before you consider that they are liberated?
If you really had any moral values, or if you were an honorable man at all, you would resign. My son was a man who had high moral values and true courage. Humanity lost a bright light on April 4, 2004. I will live the rest of my life missing Casey desperately.
Thank you for that, George. Have a nice day.
God Bless America!! We surely need it!
Cindy Sheehan
Broken-hearted mother of a True American Hero: Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, KIA 04/04/04 Sadr City, Baghdad
Gee, I wonder why Bush didn't include an excerpt from this mother's letter in his State of the Union address...
9:08:12 PM 
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