dr.e

you’re just a fake, flag wrapped jerk

Ah, the tolerance and respect for principled disagreement is on full display!

There’s some ancestry there, though not whole. In any event, you were wrong in what you wrote. Normal people and real Americans, and for that matter real people elsewhere not only don’t foolishly believe, they do not respect fake charges of US “imperialism” and other such nonsense that also is slander.

I didn’t know you were native american DLS, and if you aren’t and make that kind of comment you’re just a fake, flag wrapped jerk that assumes one side of an argument gets to declare their ownership of something they really aren’t in either historical reality, unless you only count the last 231 years, or substance by showing some grace instead of wearing the flag as a garment, or as a cheap antanne ornament.

Btw, I never cared for Sheehan myself, but you are doing a damn good job of making her seem alot more moderate with that “(real) american” crack. Over the top political stances aren’t tempered by 180 degree opposites without it being just as whacky sounding to those that haven’t sold their souls to a political party/”team”.

http://www.dmh.cahwnet.gov/Statehospitals/default.asp

And I don’t single her out as the only one guilty of extremism. I merely say that she doesn’t get a claim of special moral status. She certainly does not have a greater claim than that of other families who have lost members to the war — the same families she intentionally snubs if they dare to disagree with her politics.

Her self-righteousness has blinded her to moral and ethical questions about her own tactics. That may be understandable as she is a fallible human being who was subjected to an extremely painful experience. But the fact that her failings are understandable doesn’t mean she gets a pass on everything.

Inflammatory rhetoric has been used from the beginning by both sides, so its not really fair to single her out for that.

Nick is right that Mother Sheehan did maintain the moral high ground.

By repeatedly using the names of other servicemen against the express wishes of their families?

By using such inflammatory language that she marginalized herself and made discussion impossible?

“Good Riddance!” — (real) Americans

What she needed was a sophisticated advisor; what she got was friends with causes of their own who lured her onto dangerous side lines.

Shaun Mullen comes closest to stating what I believed happened. She was co-opted because she lacked the knowledge and sophistication to understand her friends as well as her enemies.

Grief makes a person particularly vulnerable to being co-opted. In grief one asks the eternal question of ‘why’, creating fertile ground for false prophets with sleezy answers.

I hope Cindy finds peace eventually.
In the meantime, I can empathize with her bitterness.

She was vilified in the media by the right and labelled a shrill, hysterical woman who had basically become unhinged by her son’s death. I think she deserved more, although I agree with others here that she hurt her cause by alligning with Chavez. That action gave support to those who have always claimed that she and her followers hate America, and not just the policies of Bush.

But she made a fundamental mistake that other neophytes in her position have made over the years: She allowed the memory of her son — the reason for her cause — to be coopted by others in the movement and rather quickly lost her gravitas because of her meeting with Chavez, her Israel bashing and so on.

This reminds me of “Team America”: when I first watched that movie, I started off cheering because they viciously made fun of all I wanted them to criticize. Then I froze in horror as they made fun of everything I wanted them to lionize! Eventually, I gave up and just laughed.

I think the problem for those of us who can see the ugly side of most political processes is to find constructive ways of communicating what we see, and providing useful alternative strategies. Telling people what’s wrong just makes it harder for them to deny it, which they must do if they are to go on using the only strategies they have.

Anyway, brava Cindy Sheehan for your honesty. Sorry about your son. I hope you can pull a new life together. May your efforts inspire others to do the same for our country.

I hope you find some peace Cindy.