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Santo, Santo, Santo
Posted by Cindy Sheehan
02:00 PM Mar 16, 2008
was sitting on my couch writing about the horrors of war on this the 40th anniversary of the My Lai massacre and the approaching 5th anniversary of George's crime against humanity, the abominable occupation of Iraq. Reading about the testimony of Winter Soldier did nothing to alleviate my mood and the only thing that was giving me consolation is knowing that my son, Casey, was a conscientious objector in the last moments of his life.
I have the TV on while I am writing and I was assaulted with the images of ex-Proconsul of Iraq, L. Paul Bremer still supporting the mess after all these years and all the damage he did there and Republican presidential nominee, John McCain is in Iraq and he is extolling the virtues of the "surge" and his hundred years' war. I am as upset with the reporting when not one of our so-called journalists questions the unfounded lie that the "surge is working," as I am with the lies. I am upset that after 5 years and boundless suffering, the carnage is continuing and the media/military/congressional industrial war complex is still churning along fed by billions of our tax dollars and loans from our new mortgagor: China. A gallon of gas has become more expensive than a gallon of milk and people are losing their homes and jobs at unprecedented rates. Our poor dollar has become the laughingstock of the planet, as has our once feared military. But the news isn't all gloom and doom, at least Congress is protecting us from the evils of steroid use in baseball! We can sleep at night knowing that Congress is on the job!
As I was writing, I began to hear a chorus of voices singing loudly on the street below. I got up and walked to my front bay window and was treated with the sight of Latino families processing down the sidewalk holding palms and singing a song in Spanish and the refrain was: "Santo, Santo, Santo. " "Holy, Holy, Holy." It's Palm Sunday---oh, my gosh! In the life I lived before Casey was killed, I would have known this already. Palm Sunday is the day in Christian tradition when Jesus of Nazareth triumphantly rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and the citizens were singing; "Holy, Holy, Holy" and strewing his path with palm fronds. Five days later, in the same tradition, Jesus of Nazareth was condemned to death by the Roman occupiers of Palestine (with the urging of the Jewish leadership and with the betrayal of Jesus' follower, Judas Iscariot) and executed in the Roman style of crucifixion.
I live in a Latino area in San Francisco and to watch the families push their babies in baby strollers and old people in wheel chairs was beautiful and uplifting. Our previous parish in Norwalk, Ca was largely Latino and I always loved to participate in their traditions that were more interactive than the Anglo ways. But as I was watching, I was reminded that Casey was killed on Palm Sunday (which was on April 04 that year) four years ago. Tears began to stream down my cheeks as my joy once again turned to sorrow.
Easter that year and every year since has not been happy for us, although Easter falls on different days every year. We have the double whammy of celebrating Easter and mourning Casey's death day every year in close proximity of each other. We picked out his "permanent resting place" on Good Friday. His body (encased in a cardboard box) came home to the loading dock of United Airlines at SFO on Holy Saturday; his vigil was on Easter Sunday evening and we buried him two days after Easter.
At the time of Casey's death he was the only practicing Catholic in our family, but he was so faithful. He even went to a rosary service on the Friday before he was killed, confirmed by a First Cavalry Captain who was also Catholic and attended Mass with Casey at Fr. Hood. When we received his personal belongings from Iraq and Ft. Hood, there were about a dozen sets of rosary beads. We could never confirm if he was able to attend Mass on Palm Sunday, but the last time I talked to him when he was in Kuwait (Ku-waiting for death); he was on his way to Mass. He joined the Army to be a Chaplain's assistant and his plans after the Army were to get married, have a family and be ordained a permanent Deacon in the Catholic Church. He was a very good person who was deceived into joining the military and killed five days in combat that he was assured he would never see.
What a contrast Casey presents to his commander in chief, George Bush. At Casey's age when he enlisted, George was a cheerleading party-boy and marginal student. During a time when many men his age were drafted to go to another illegal war, George was able to use his daddy's connections to jump in front of the line to be accepted into the Texas Air National Guard. After transferring to the Alabama Air National Guard, he went AWOL.
Through several failed businesses and a failed attempt at a Congressional bid in Texas, George was rewarded with the governorship of Texas after Karl Rove wove the devious spell that Ann Richards (beloved Governor) was a lesbian. By that time, George was a "born again Christian" and on the Jesus-plan of recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. In his Pontius Pilate-ness, George and his attorney, Al Gonzales, presided over the executions of mentally retarded convicts. With his family ties to big oil, he also presided over the biggest degradation of the environment and welcomed members of the Taliban to the Texas governor's mansion. Let's fast-forward to 2001. George had been crowned president of the USA by the Supreme Court in the same kind of coup that has brought other tyrants to power. After the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, George listening to his God, began lying about reasons to invade Iraq.
Santo, Santo, Santo. There is nothing holy about war. There is nothing moral about war and anyone from Osama bin Laden to George Bush who exploit religion to kill, maim, or oppress people are just murderous thugs and deserve to be held accountable for these crimes.
George's "Holy war" or bin Laden's "jihad" are simply wars on innocent civilians who are caught up in their ancient paradigms of the poor being slaughtered so the rich can get richer.
However, as the people of Jerusalem who had just been singing Jesus' praises at the beginning of the week, shouted "Crucify him, crucify him" on Good Friday, we are each one responsible for the bloodshed and cannot absolve ourselves from our part in George's game of evil empire.
Right before celebrating the Eucharist in the Catholic Church we are given the opportunity to shake our neighbors hands, or hug one another in a "sign of God's peace." At the end of Mass, we are told to "go in peace to love and serve the Lord." In this Holy Week, let us all rededicate our lives to loving and serving each other, God's people in peace, true peace. Not the blood-lust of the god of George and Osama.
That is the way we can wash the blood off of our own hands.
Your Post, CD, Casey
— 10:27 PM Mar 16, 2008
Cindy,
I am Rhoda Ozen from Yardley, Pa, burb of Philly I am in Bill Perrys Chapter of DelValVets and VetsforPeace, USAF 75-77,
Mom, 2 daughters 18 and 30. One Cuban and my mutt pedigree, youngest Turkish Muslim and my mutt again. They've been through it, and I have them, I never knew about Caseys Peace Page and have been crying with you all damn day. Then you know who condescended to you in a horrid manner and you as always are eloquent and empathetic when in kind you answer.
My 30 year old does not live in your District, she would be all over that, she is a Writer from LA, in other words I pay half her bills. I always feel so badly when I am speking of my women when so many have suffered your loss, the egregious manner and psychpathic tendencies of the truly evil reside at 1600 in DC, you know this.
I only meant to tell you I admire you greatly, I honostly grieve Cindy, I am sorry.
You must be tremendously overwrought today and I have been sick at CD I rarely am there anymore, elitist, moralist, hubris. They've never, most, not an honest days work in their lives. I can no longer pray, I cannot, my love I give you. My shoulder take it.
Peace Cindy, ahemm Congressperson Sheehan
XO
Free Speech
— 01:38 PM Mar 18, 2008
Do you believe in free speech?
Absolution NOT
— 10:54 PM Mar 18, 2008
Aloha Cindy,
As the Jewish judges claimed they were doing after Pilate had sentenced Christ to be crucified, "washing their hands of the matter." WE do not get by with recognizing what WE HAVE ALLOWED TO OCCUR!
A Tribute To You
— 01:30 PM Mar 20, 2008
Cindy, I write for a blog called MOMocrats, and one of our contributors wrote a very touching tribute to you as part of yesterday's "Blogswarm to End the War." I hope you read it, so you know what an inspiration you are to us, as mothers,. I am so very sorry for your loss.
The post is here:
http://momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats/2008/03/cindy-sheehan-w.html
Peace
— 12:43 AM Mar 22, 2008
Know that there are many of us without consistent access to a computer that support you. I am an old Vietnam war protestor and believe a country who refuses to acknowledge past mistakes is bound to repeat them. You have our support.
I'm with you, Cindy
— 11:09 AM Mar 22, 2008
dear cindy - i work as hard as i can to convince my southern relatives and friends that george bush and his wars are evil. some have quit speaking to me, but that's okay. i know i am on the side of right. i admire you, appreciate you, love you, and support you. thank you. valerie
A Foreign Policy of Freedom
— 10:02 PM Mar 22, 2008
Cindy and others,
Ron Paul wrote a book, 'A Foreign Policy of Freedom'.
I believe we need to change our foreign policy to that which Dr. Paul speaks of. He has apparently been urging Congress and Presidents to do this for years but no one has listened.
I previously voted for Democrats but I will now vote for Ron Paul, even if it's just a write in. The other 'candidates' are all the same in my eyes. None are to be trusted.
Many of Ron Paul's supporters are strongly opposed to the Iraq war, and do not want us to go to war with Iran.
Ron Paul grass roots support is organized through Meetup.com and Restore the Republic (the late Aaron Russo's site), as well as other sites.
Have you seen Aaron Russo's 'From Freedom to Fascism' DVD? If not, please do.
Also....very important please....the threat of a North American Union (NAU) as one step to a New World Order (NWO) is very real. Please listen to what Connie Fogal of the Candian Action Party has to say about this:
http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/home.html
Thank you for being brave enough to stand up for us all!
A Foreign Policy of Freedom
— 10:08 PM Mar 22, 2008
I support Ron Paul. He wrote a book, "A Foreign Policy of Freedom", which is a very interesting read.
There are many terrible things going on in our world today. There is a plan for a New World Order (NWO), with a North American Union (NAU) as one major step along the way.
Please see what Connie Fogal has to say at:
http://www.canadianactionparty.ca/home.html
Thank you Cindy for standing up for everyone!
Your Myspac page
— 09:02 AM Mar 25, 2008
I really miss your bulletins on Myspace ..Your last login was on Christmas Eve ... Just did this search on google to see if you were still with us .. Happy to find you still hanging in there ....
Hillary's BIG FAT LIE
— 05:13 AM Apr 01, 2008
Just wondering how you felt about Hillary telliing such a BIG FAT LIE about having to duck sniper fire in Bosnia when there are soldiers out there being fired upon every day. By her telling such a lie in an attempt to help her run for the presidency, I feel that It trivializes the plight of the soldiers. I have a brother who recently got out of the military after serving 20+ years. He was apalled that she could tell such a lie and he said many of his comrades were very angry that the ex first lady would tell such a flat out lie.
I think she should be ashamed, but what's even worse is that the media brushed it off by going along with her claims of making a mistake. There's no way anyone could make that kind of mistake, especially if your child is with you! I just wanted to hear your thoughts. God Bless You!
hillary lied?! What!?
— 03:22 AM Apr 07, 2008
LOL...
She lies and wiggles around the truth a lot.
And, the soldiers that are there in harm's way is because of her support of Bush and his war.
I don't like it.
Love
Cindy
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