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What
Noble Cause?
by Cindy Sheehan truthout | Perspective Saturday, 17 September 2005
It has been one month, one week, and 4 days since I sat in a ditch in
Crawford, Texas. My request was very simple: I wanted to speak to the
man who has sent over a million of our young people over to fight,
kill, and die in a country that was absolutely no threat to the United
States of America. I wanted to ask him: "What is the Noble Cause that
you keep talking about?"
Well, we all know now that George Bush never came down the road to talk
to me. Thank God! Many people have been saying that I am the "spark,"
"catalyst," "face of the anti-war movement," etc. I beg to differ.
George Bush and his arrogant advisers are the spark that lit the
prairie fire of peace activism that has swept over America and the
entire world. If he had met with me that fateful day in August it would
not have been good for him (because I knew he was going to lie and I
would have advertised that fact) but it would have had less of an
impact on the peace movement if he had.
Upon reflection on the events of this past August, I have come up with
two reasons why George could not meet with me: He is a coward and there
is no Noble Cause. If George had as much courage and integrity in his
entire body as Casey had in his pinky, he would have met with me. But,
ironically, if George had that much courage and integrity he never
would have preemptively invaded a practically defenseless country. His
syncophantic cabinet and hangers-on are also incontrovertible evidence
that he is a coward. No one had better dare disagree with him. How dare
a mom from Vacaville, California, have the nerve to contradict the
emperor of Prairie Chapel Road!!??
All of the "Noble Cause" reasons that George has variously given for
the invasion and continued illegal occupation of a sovereign nation are
also patently false and ridiculous. He has been claiming recently
(since he admitted a long time ago that Iraq had no WMDs or links to
9/11) that this occupation of Iraq is spreading "freedom and democracy"
in the Middle East. Really? Does he have any idea that the constitution
that the Iraqi governing body is working on is based on Sharia and that
it undermines the freedoms of women? Does he realize that for over 50
years women had equal rights with men in Iraq? Does George realize (of
course he does) that the puppet government the US put in place in Iraq
is comprised of the very same people who encouraged the invasion to
line their own pockets? What kind of freedom and democracy is this? If
George is so hell bent on freedom and democracy for Iraq, then why
doesn't he practice it here in America? Up to 62 percent of Americans
believe that what George has done in Iraq is a mistake and we should
begin to bring our troops home. Well, George, 62 percent is a clear
majority and you should begin to listen to the people who pay your
salary.
He has also claimed that what we are doing in Iraq is "making America
safer." Another statement that is easier to disprove than the "freedom
and democracy" baloney. To disprove this little bit of deception, all
we have to do is look at the Gulf States. Ask the people of New
Orleans, especially, if they feel safer. By misappropriating all of our
personnel, equipment and pouring billions of dollars into the sands of
Iraq, George has made our country more vulnerable to attack by outside
forces. Also, from the cold and callous statements of people like
Michael Chertoff and George's own mama, the people of New Orleans seem
to be "acceptable" collateral damage to the ruling elite of this
country. It is my humble opinion that the only thing that will make
America safer is to get George and his unfeeling and dangerously
incompetent supporters out of our White House.
We all now know the reason that we are in Iraq. George told us so from
a break he was taking from Crawford in San Diego on the same day that
Katrina was hitting the Gulf States: it is for oil. It is so George,
Dick, and their evil buddies can rape more profits from our children's
flesh and blood. This is not a Noble Cause - as a matter of fact, it is
the most ignoble cause for any war that has ever been waged. We as
Americans knew either in the front of our brains, or in the back of our
consciousness, that this war was to feed the corporations. 15 brave
young Americans have been killed so far this month while our attention
has been focused, and rightfully so, on the Gulf States. Over 200
innocent and unfortunate Iraqis have been killed in this week alone.
How much more blood are we as Americans going to allow George,
Congress, and the corporations to spill before we demand an end to this
war and an accounting for the lives that have been needlessly ruined?
It is also time to stop hemorrhaging money in Iraq. I witnessed the
abject poverty and sense of abandoment the less fortunate people of New
Orleans were living in even before the levees broke. It is time to
start pumping hope back into our own communities. It is time to start
taking care of Americans. How many millions of our tax dollars are we
going to allow George, Congress and the corporations to misuse and
waste in Iraq?
Not one more drop of blood. Not one more life. Not one more penny for
killing.
If you love our country and want to see a change for the better, come
to DC on the 24th of this month and stand up and be counted for peace.
The entire world is counting on you. |