Thread: Mother's Protest at Bush's Doorstep Raises the Stakes

latimes.com

August 11, 2005
latimes.com : National News

THE NATION
Mother's Protest at Bush's Doorstep Raises the Stakes
By Edwin Chen and Dana Calvo, Times Staff Writers

CRAWFORD, Texas â€â€

Agree with her or not, this woman has guts. She was told that if she continues to stay there and protest that she would be arrested. In an interview she said she met Bush once and said that "his eyes looked evil" She also said that when she told Bush that her son missed out on living a wonderful life, Bush responded "How do you know your son would have had a wonderful life?" She said this on a radio interview yesterday. She has been all over cbs news tongiht.

JP, she sure does. I really admire her willingness to not give up.

President Bush is having some "rough times" these days, huh It's like the whole world is unhappy with him in one way or another. Things are really catching up to this guy.

She may as well be spitting on her own son's grave, in my not so humble opinion. He chose to join the Army *after* 9/11 fully aware of where the country was headed. He wanted to go fight the enemy over there. This young man made his decision in spite of his mom's protests - she wasn't just against the Iraq war, she didn't want him in the Army at all.

Fast forward from her son's fateful decision to April after his death. She met with the President and at that time said she was grateful he came to meet with her. She stated that the President allowed her to have just a little bit of normalcy, happiness, as if her son were there.

This woman has a right to grieve, to be angry, to feel hurt. Her *choice* to join forces with the Code Pink crowd and to use the death of her own son to voice her political agenda is contemptable, especially in light of the fact that it would *not* be what her son would want, since he knowingly offered his service and his life for his country - as an adult. He was no longer a 'child under his mother's wing'.

When my son's Marine Corp unit is deployed to Iraq I will have a very long year, but I will *honor* his choice to be who and what he is, and *respect* him for those choices.

Good point, Rarius. The only thing I wonder about is the way she describes the visit by GWB. At first she said he was wonderful, now a new story.

For me the problem is that the negative description she gave of her visit with him sounded more true to life of GWB. It's possible her first description was all nice and rosey, out of trying to be polite and I'm sure the experience might have been rather overwhelming for her.

I've had it happen, where I've met someone, shall we say "important" and I reacted positively, then later when having a chance to be more honest with myself had to admit I was being a bit too polite in describing the person.

And maybe none of that matters. But I could understand how disturbed she might be if the visit with Bush really was like the second description.

However, you are right. This may not be the reaction her son would prefer. It's a hard one. Tell your son thank you for what he's chosen to do for his country, for us, Rarius.

The word is that She already has met with Bush, a while back.

They say she is being fueled by Michael Moore...says she is on his web site or something......I haven't been to his web site yet....cause I hate him

Moosetracks, I heard she is being supported by groups with leanings to the left, not necessarily Michael Moore, but it could be.

I say this. Her son sacrificed his life for us. If there is something she wants desperately to say, to the point that she is camping out in Crawford, Texas, personally I think we could give her the respect of being heard. It's just the way I feel about this.

If anyone disagrees I respect your opinion greatly. Yes, President Bush did meet with her once, but could he not spare a few minutes to let her speak to him again? Why not?

I suppose W, busy as he is with all his schemes to get us to invade Iran...a HUGE mistake..cannot afford the time to meet with her again...it would set a precedent, you know.

My son is retired military...he didn't WANT to go...he was drafted two weeks after he turned 18 in order to use him for cannon fodder. Being a mother, I didn't really give a dang whether helicopters would be useful in battle or not...which is what the 'Nam thing was all about, after all.

My husband is retired military. He didn't WANT to go, but knowing that he either volunteered or was drafted he made his choice of branches when he was 18 1/2 years old.

I probably worried off ten years of my life while my son was stationed around the world, he was in places that our government still claims that our forces never were.

I feel very sad for Sheean, I feel very sad for all these families and I do not know if I have the intestinal fortitude to have faced the death of my only child for the 'protection' or 'freedom' or 'democracy' of another country or not. That seems such a remote and callus reason to send young men to die horrible deaths.

Iraq. Our stated purpose in Iraq was to depose a cruel dictator and his even more cruel sons. We've done that. Still our young and idealistic men are dying every day. If Iraq can't handle their own defense at this point, let me tell you that they never will. Five years from now we'll still be hearing of the deaths of young men barely out of high school. We'll still be sending billions of dollars to one of the richest countries in the world to 'rebuild their nation.'

I feel pity for Michelle Malkin. She has never known grief. She has no compassion. No one that has known deep grief could savage those that are experiencing it and will experience it on a daily basis for many years to come. Until she knows what she's talking about it would be better that she not speak on the subject.

I would have us get out of Iraq NOW. Before they escalate to Iran. If they're going to keep us from winning the wars in which they insist that we engage...we should not be in wars, police actions, 'freeing' nations, interfering in nations....damn politicians anyway. If THEY want to fight a war..let them and theirs be the first ones on the line.

RR

This woman lost her son, the president should at leat take a few more minutes to talk with her. I couldnt imagine the pain she is going through. Our beloved President has taken more vacation time than any other President in the history of the US, he can spare some time with this woman, he should give her that much respect.