Reply #39: This anti-war/anti-Bush movement needs a few songs ... [View All]

...that everybody knows. So far there's been no equivalent to "We Shall Overcome" and most of the chants are just raucous. Of course, part of the problem has been corporate radio media's reluctance to give air time to anything "controversial," but even so we have the internet, so that shouldn't be an obstacle. I'll try to find an occasion to sing this one.

I don't have a personal connection to Cindy Sheehan (that is, I doubt she'd remember me), but I am an associate (non-vet) member of the Santa Barbara Vets for Peace. Arlington West is an ongoing project of SB-VFP, and they have helped and encouraged numerous other areas to start their own Arlington projects. It's one of our offshoots that has loaned their crosses to Crawford Peace House to line the road to the ranch.

Cindy and her family came out to Arlington West on Mother's Day last year to participate; that's the first time she met us all. Her daughter read a poem she'd written about Casey's death and the devastation it wrought on their family; they brought flowers to place at the cross with Casey's name on it. After she left I happened to be among a group of three VFP mothers who were interviewed by someone (from NPR? I think) and I was asked to read that poem aloud. It's a cry from the soul. Other members than myself have been in frequent contact with her since then; and since that time she has been in our hearts; this chapter will help her however we can.

I was blown away that a family had come all the way from Vacaville on Mother's Day just to be with our once-a-week memorial. By that time we were getting used to young men in uniform showing up to look for the names of buddies on our crosses -- in fact by now almost 20% of the 1800-plus memorial crosses, each of which has a name on it, have been visited by friends or relatives of the fallen. But Cindy was special, and I understand she counts that day as when she became an activist for her son.

Hekate