Cindy Sheehan has made quite a name for herself and has offended many veterans and families of veterans through her protests.  Yes, she is a Gold Star Mom and as such should be accorded all the courtesy that goes with that.  That being said I believe that she is taking the principles that her son stood for and degraded them.

Deborah Tainsh is also a Gold Star Mom and has written a book and taken a positive stand for what her son stood for.  Deborah has written an article entitled Mrs Sheehan and Me.  I am copying it here verbatim with Deborah's approval.  It is well worth reading the full article.

Quote:

Mrs. Sheehan and Me

Deborah Tainsh

July 15, 2007

 

I learned early last week that Cindy Sheehan would be visiting with her entourage near my home at Fort Benning, Georgia, on Saturday, July 14. I was immediately contacted by local radio, newspaper, and a tv news channel for comments about the visit.  I was also contacted by several acquaintances that are part of the Gathering of Eagles and invited to be a part of their protest opposite Mrs. Sheehan.  The invitation was tempting as there was a time shortly after Cindy began her protests that I wished I could meet her face to face.  Our sons had died two months apart in Baghdad.  I was appalled along with others about her behavior.  When she camped in Crawford where white crosses were placed for each of the fallen, my husband called the sheriff’s department there and asked them to remove the cross with our son’s name.  Dave and I were still in our initial months of grief and pain.  We were angry and furious at Mrs. Sheehan’s actions.  She did not, and still does not speak for us.

            Since, in an attempt to control my negative emotions, I’ve worked diligently with my husband to seek positive ways to honor Patrick, his comrades, and all our military and their families.  Over the past year I’ve spoken messages opposite Mrs. Sheehan.  Dave and I have spoken in support of President Bush.  I constantly call and send e-mails to Senator Saxby Chambliss’ office.  Because of my views, a few Gold Star moms requested that I remove their names from my e-mail.  In respect, I did so.  I have accepted that with war, there are two sides, and families do eventually choose where they stand.

            In my interviews with local media, I responded that Mrs. Sheehan still doesn’t speak for my family and many other Gold and Blue Star families that I know and love.  I don’t respect her for actions such as visiting and hugging Hugo Chavez, saying our troops are terrorists, that the terrorists are merely “freedom fighters,” or that she is now seeking the impeachment of President Bush.  But I do respect that she is a parent who has suffered the death of a child.  A suffering of pain, grief, and emptiness that leads individuals to make choices for coping that fit their needs.  Because of this and because I did not want to chance raising the head of my own anger again, I chose not to  protest against Mrs. Sheehan, although my views were shared through local media.

            I learned, following the protest, that Mrs. Sheehan did not obtain a permit therefore she was allowed only fifteen persons in her group.  I also learned from one of my media acquaintances who interviewed Cindy that Mrs. Sheehan is seriously convinced that it is because of her actions and protests that the majority of the nation is now against President Bush and want the troops pulled from Iraq.  My response was that I didn’t believe it was all her doing, but I do give tremendous credit to main stream media for placing her in the forefront and giving her huge amounts of air time when they won’t give Gold Star parents with opposite views a dot in comparison. I also give credit to the one sided negative media, negative egotistical politicians like Reid and Pelosi, and commentators whose headlines read “Bush’s un-winnable war grinds on” for polarizing our nation instead of doing what it would take to bring us together to let insurgents and terrorists know we won’t stand for their atrocities in Iraq or the United States.

            Learning the name of Mrs. Sheehan’s newest march across the nation, the “Journey for Humanity,” I became confused.  Which part of humanity?  What are her goals for this part of humanity?  Apparently her concern is not for our nation’s humanity or the Iraqi people since her call to pull the troops from Iraq and to impeach President Bush is a message that helps embolden the terrorists and insurgents against troops.  How can one on a “Journey for Humanity” live with knowing that Iraq will become, as a Sergeant Major friend currently in Iraq for the second time told me, a slaughter house that will make Sadaam look like a girl scout and a control center for Al-Qaeda if our troops are pulled before they complete their mission to bring stability to the area. That, as my Sergeant Major friend told me, if our troops leave before stability is gained, we will have the greater fight on our soil against these radical Islamic terrorists who call us infidels and our nation the Great Satan. 

            Recently one of Patrick’s friends, also in Iraq for his second tour wrote and said, “As far as how things are going here, I would have to say pretty well.  The Iraqi army and police are more or less doing their jobs.  Some actually really care and do try to make a difference. Some want to have a nice safe country and they fight for it.  I feel that they have made a lot of progress.  There are some that we know are corrupt, but we can’t do much about them without hard evidence.  I feel that if a timeline is given to pull out, then we’re telling the terrorists they win after this date.  I feel that if we leave without winning it will mean that Pat and everyone else died for no reason.”

            One of Patrick’s Iraqi interpreters who helped track down his killers wrote to me saying, “If we fail, Iraq will be divided into three main territories controlled by Iran, Turkey, and Al Qaeda.”  Hussein also says that the American troops are the only impartial law enforcement that keeps down an all out civil war.

            No, I don’t agree with Mrs. Sheehan. I don’t understand her thinking when she stands at the gates of Fort Benning and refers to its Western Hemisphere Institute for Security as a “cancer on our country.” I don’t understand which part of humanity it is that she’s on a journey for.  I just know she’s a mom whose son died a hero, a mom whose heart is tortured, a mom whose belief system is opposite mine.  A mom whose son wore proudly the uniform of his nation that I feel sure, as a young man who once wanted to be a priest, was concerned enough for humanity  to want the Iraqi people to succeed and live in peace.  A peace that I ,too, want desperately for everyone’s lives and hearts, a peace that in this earthly life is often bought through persistence with great struggle and sacrifice. A struggle we can’t afford to lose for the sake of our nation’s future. A struggle that will always cause differences of opinions like those of Mrs. Sheehan and me.

Unquote

Michael Ireton
Co-Host
The American Veteran Radio Show

           

 

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