Cindy Sheehan...

I have thus far abstained from writing anything about Cindy Sheehan. I have been trying to get my thoughts about her and her antics in Texas organized. I would be so easy to become just another member of the Cindy bashing crowd. However, when I listen to Cindy Sheehan talk it sounds a lot like listening to my mother.

My mother is a life long Republican. Granted politics was never a major subject in our house when I was growing up. Like sports it was just something we didn’t talk about. Except for my Grandfather, he was a strict party line Democrat. I have previously written about my Grandfather’s voting practices.

My mother has bragged several times that she took great delight in disagreeing with her father-in-law’s politics. It was one of the few things they ever disagreed on.

Unfortunately over the last few years I have noticed that my mother sounds more like a left wing moonbat than a loyal Republican.

Now I don’t think that George Bush being President alone was enough to change her attitudes. Her prime concern is the fact that two of my nephews enlisted in the military just before the Iraq front of the Global War on Terror started. Since then my mother has been very verbal in her belief that this war is wrong, her grandchildren are just targets and it is all George Bush’s fault.

While I recognize that my mother started out as a conservative Republican and Cindy Sheehan was always a liberal Democrat. But today they sound a lot alike.

"My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel. Am I stupid? No, I know full-well that my son, my family, this nation, and this world were betrayed by a George Bush who was influenced by the neo-con PNAC agenda after 9/11..." -- Cindy Sheehan

“Maybe my two grandsons will not be shipped to hell to die in a war I and millions of others don't believe in. I don't think they should have to do or participate in such a fruitless mission as they will be stuck in for someone to be proud of them.” -- My Mother

"And you tell me, what the noble cause is that my son died for." -- Cindy Sheehan

“…our worst nightmare is that after basic, he will be a convenient moving target -- they need a lot of them and we don't want our grandsons in this nightmare of killing our sons and fathers and grandchildren.” – My Mother

“You tell me the truth. You tell me that my son died for oil. You tell me that my son died to make your friends rich. You tell me my son died to spread the cancer of Pax Americana, imperialism in the Middle East. You tell me that, you don't tell me my son died for freedom and democracy." -- Cindy Sheehan

“Killing Saddam Hussain and Osama bin Laden is not going to stop the terrorists, it is impossible to kill all of them, and sacrificing our young men is not going to stop them. Only God and prayer will stop this reign of terror, and I don't want my grandson's sacrificed for my safety.” – My Mother

I have tried to explain to my mother that I believe this war is not only a just war, it is a necessary war. While I also worry about my nephews I respect and support their decisions to join the Navy and the Marines. I have tried writing responses to my mother’s ranting e-mails. But if she even reads them, she never responds to them. She only sends out messages to her entire mail list begging us to pray that God protects her grandsons before George Bush manages to kill them.

I can’t even begin to understand what and how my Mother’s and Cindy Sheehan’s brains are working or what they are thinking. I only know that to my way of thinking they both sound unhinged, irrational and at times insane.

So I will not indulge in any Cindy Sheehan bashing here. As with my mother, I don’t understand her and I doubt that we could sit down and partake in a rational exchange of ideas. I just wish that every time the main stream media would let her speak they would give equal time to an opposing view. But then I also wish I could win the Super Lotto on Saturday. I expect that I’m going to disappointed on both accounts.