Listening to Amy Goodman and Democracy Now from 6 to 7 a.m. this morning started my weekend on a hopeful note. Cindy Sheehan’s “Camp Casey” demonstration outside W. Bush’s vacation ranch in Crawford, Texas has not only made The Daily Show, but has hit media around the world and has become a focal point for the largely forgotten suffering families who have lost children and husbands to the Iraq invasion and occupation .

Of course the families want to know why they were lied to about weapons of mass destruction, and want to know where the government’s ill-conceived policy is leading our country. Interesting that Colleen Rowley, the FBI whistle-blower, named Time Magazine Person of the Year for her revelations about intelligence before 9-11 is at Camp Casey talking about how the Iraq invasion and how occupation has given terrorism an incredible boost, has squandered the real possibility of world cooperation that followed the events of 2001. Gold star families, legislators, celebrities such as Lance Armstrong are participating, all in their own ways. A Minnesota state senator who lost her son, a former diplomat to Afganistan who resigned in protest at the time of Iraq invasion, all spoke eloquently, made me cry and smile. Cindy’s imagination and courage was the spark, she said as she left her vigil to attend to her mother who had just had a stroke, but now the “fire of protest is raging out of control. “

I urge you to read the statement below by former CA state senator and longtime (since Vietnam) peace activist Tom Hayden (he was one the the Catonsville 9–people I knew personally who poured blood on draft files during the Vietnam War and had a high profile trial and conviction in the sixties. Hayden and others have drafted a withdrawal from Iraq petition which you can read below and then go online and sign. This is something Progressive Democrats are supporting, although our old friend John Kerry (former eloquent Vietnam veteran against the war) couldn’t seem to get behind when he had the opportunity to do so.

I wish you at least one happy weekend, knowing that over 1600 vigils took place last Thursday in support of “Camp Casey” and Cindy Sheehan and the other mothers. It had top billing in our Press Democrat daily paper yesterday, covering a local vigil, with Santa Rosa war victim families.

Follow the link to the petition, please sign, and tell your friends and family about the proposal when they say “we just can’t up and leave Iraq.” This is your answer.

Heartfelt desire for peace and justice and a thank you from me.
jennie

http://www.peace-action.org/home/08.16.05Hayden.html
http://www.demaction.org/dia/organizations/Peaceact/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=102

Use this link to see photos and read reports of the vigils in solidarity with Cindy Sheehan and Camp Casey
http://www.political.moveon.org/cindyvigils/pics.html?&id=5916-379048-lQFbF3H4W_6X7QXbImRgjA&t=14