Rogue Valley Independent Media Center

Cindy Sheehan at Peace House

Allen Hallmark, 24.05.2009 17:00

Ashland, Oregon - 5/21/09

Cindy Sheehan is an inspirational and almost hallowed figure in the peace movement of the 21st Century, who, when confronted with her son's death while serving the military in Iraq, challenged President Bush at her Camp Casey near Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas.

But over a vegetarian dinner at Peace House, I found out that Cindy is not an icon to be placed on a shelf and admired, but a down-to-earth, approachable woman who has "just a trace of sorrow in her eyes" as the Jackson Browne song goes, but who also has the intellect, the information and the inclination to be a powerful leader of the peace movement for years to come.

Cindy didn't give any speech at Peace House, she simply facilitated a conversation aimed at addressing two questions:

· Where is the energy for World Peace among young people?

· What is our vision of the future of the Peace Movement for 2010 and beyond?

While not providing pat answers to either question, she noted that since the election of President Obama the folks who still believe that the people can convince the government to get us out of the wars have mostly bailed out of the "anti-war" movement, which was mostly an "anti-Republican" movement. Those who remain must work harder for peace because, she said, "We are a bunch of tired old people and there are fewer of us now to do the work."

Despite Obama's election, the powers-that-be remain committed to keeping the U.S. a powerful militaristic nation that fuels its economy by spending an outrageous amount on military weapons and material, manufactured in 48 states to ensure constant congressional support.

Cindy seems to have given up on trying to influence the government. She sees the Peace Movement's job as being to inform the people about the harm the government is doing and to urge people to change their lifestyles and work together in their local communities planting gardens, joining food co-ops, engaging in barter and buying local.

While she hasn't given up on public protests against the wars, she sees the occasional large demonstrations held in Washington, DC, on Saturdays to be practically useless, because few, if any, congressmen are in town and the mainstream news media hardly covers them. She would like to see a series of demonstrations in DC during the work week with at least 600,000 people taking to the streets, although she said that's unlikely to happen given the current malaise.

I wasn't able to attend Cindy's appearance at Bloomsbury Books where she spoke about her new book, Myth America: 10 Greatest Myths of the Robber Class and the Case for Revolution. I've got to get the book to find out more about her chapter on "The Case for a (Peaceful) Revolution."

I had one private moment with Cindy when I whispered to her my condolences on the death of her son Casey and added that I too have lost a son (my son Sam who died in a drowning accident in 1979). Cindy was very moved and gave me a hung that felt very good indeed.

Here is an excerpt from Cindy's blogspot: http://cindysheehanssoapbox.blogspot.com/

The Robber Class loves to divide us along arbitrary lines: Republican/Democrat; White/Black/Brown; Protestant/Catholic/Jew/Muslim; North/South; but these divisions are malleable, even our skin color can be changed a la Michael Jackson! But seriously, skin color is only a surface issue; inside we are all the same! The Robber Class knows that there really only exists one division in the world: Robber Class and Robbed Class. We in the Robbed Class have way more in common with each other than we do that separates us.
It’s time to break the sick relationship that we have with the Robber Class and do something about it! They can only rob us, if we allow them to.

Myth One: America: Greatest Nation in the Universe!

Myth Two: Elections Matter

Myth Three: There's a huge Difference Between Dems and Repubs

Myth Four: It is Noble to Die in Robber Class Wars

Myth Five: The Central Banking System is good for the Robbed Class

Myth Six: It's a Privilege to pay Income Taxes to the Robber Class

Myth Seven: Housing, Health Care and Education are Privileges, too

Myth Eight: America has a Free Press

Myth Nine: The Environment, Who Needs it?

Myth Ten: 19 Muslims with box cutters were responsible for 9/11

Summary: The Case for (peaceful) Revolution.

There Ain't no Power like the Power of the People!

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Cindy Sheehan at Peace House