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September 29, 2005A GrotesqueReading this made me sick to my stomach. Cindy Sheehan has signed with a speakers bureau. Hey, there is nothing wrong with that. The woman has been proclaimed to be the “voice of the anti-war movement” and “the face of the Democrat party,” and I say “let ‘er rip.” She’s clearly never going back to a 9-to-5 world if she can help it. If we learned nothing else about Mother Sheehan last weekend, we learned that she likes her crowds and cameras and will do whatever it takes to knock a cat 5 hurricane off the front pages. And she has “absolute moral authority,” you know. She wants the spotlight, she can have it, and all of the attendant riches. But lady…don’t make excuses, and DON’T exploit your son’s death - AGAIN - by using it as an excuse for your career move. Which is what she has done here, in this disgusting line - the one that made me sick to my stomach:
Yes…Mother Sheehan wants you to remember, with every line she utters, that her son is dead. She also wants you to understand that she has been spending the insurance money of her dead son to embolden the insurgents who killed him, so that other mother’s sons may die, as well. She wants you to know that she has been spending the insurance money of her dead son…to give praise and support to the guys who killed him, and to march in the street with people who would spit on her son and call him a mercenary and a babykiller, were tragic, heroic Casey Sheehan still alive. There are mercenaries in the world. I don’t think our rather low-paid soldiers fit the bill.
What? WHAT???? Are you telling me that this able-bodied 48-year old woman is now being portrayed as the poor woman whose sole support was her 24-year old son, that she has “lost his income,” and that now that he is gone, she has no means of support? Is this (undoubtedly self-declared) feminist actually suggesting that Cindy Sheehan - a modern woman in a liberated age - is the equivalent of a poor Old Testament Jewish mother who needed her son’s support to keep her housed and fed? That’s sure what it sounds like! Or, you know…it could just be one more…ONE MORE skin-crawling way to pound people over the head with the fact that Casey Sheehan is dead. “He can’t support his poor 48 year old, healthy mother…” and that of course means you must thrust a fist in the air and denounce America, its constitution and its president. I was looking forward to the end of this descent into freakish and mad performance art. But now…I want her to keep talking. And her supporters, too. I only regret that by her continuing to speak, Casey Sheehan and his heroic death will have to be continually distorted and wrung out, and trotted out for the crowds and the cameras, for every available penny. Poor kid. UPDATE: Katherine Kersten reports on some Vets who served in Iraq about the effect of Mrs. Sheehan over there. The first vet has long, long service, which you’ll want to read, then he says:
I am inclinded to think that these men know whereof they speak, over - say - the Code Pink gals and other Sheehan supporters. It will forever be a tragedy that Mrs. Sheehan lost her son. That is very obvious. But maybe she needs to consider what sorts of tragedies she may, by her actions, be creating for others. Michael Yon has a heartening update from Iraq also. http://theanchoressonline.com/2005/09/29/a-grotesque/trackback/ 9 Responses to “A Grotesque” |
September 29th, 2005 at 11:31 am
The money-running-out angle is even more bizarre when one thinks about how this all stems from Ms. Sheehan being unable to accept her son’s adulthood. I.e., the fact that as an independent man, he *embraced* risk and sacrifice, knowing full well what was at stake for himself and his country. So out of a view of her son as infantile and dependent (i.e., how could he know or decide when he was a victim of larger malevolent forces? (cue tape of Bushitler/Halliburton rant), comes a view of Casey as *breadwinner*?! That’s not just a 180 turn, that’s diagnostic of her failure to release him from childhood then put him in the position of husband. Very weird. What’s sick is that a woman clearly in need of psychological counseling is having the flames of her deepest anxieties and delusions fanned by a pack of political jackals.
September 29th, 2005 at 11:32 am
[...] Just had to bring this to your attention. The Anchoress is on a righteous rant: Yes…Mother Sheehan wants you to remember, with every line she utters, that her son is dead. She also wants you to understand that she has been spending the insurance money of her dead son to embolden the insurgents who killed him, so that other mother’s sons may die, as well. She wants you to know that she has been spending the insurance money of her dead son…to give praise and support to the guys who killed him, and to march in the street with people who would spit on her son and call him a mercenary and a babykiller, were tragic, heroic Casey Sheehan still alive. [emph mine] [...]
September 29th, 2005 at 11:47 am
“finally make some money …’cause Casey’s insurance money’s going to run out pretty soon.”
I think every place that brings her in to speak should have to feature that quotation in a prominent place.
it just makes me sick to my stomach. what a parasite.
September 29th, 2005 at 12:16 pm
In every way imaginable, Sheehan makes me sick. I mean grab your belly, bend over and wretch sick.
.
Sadly, I might as well get used to it. She has her cause now, and in my experience, once someone gets one, they never let it go. It becomes a distorted, individual, one-person religion that is not subject to rationity in any way.
September 29th, 2005 at 12:43 pm
Cindy Sheehan is a con- and no more.
Casey Sheehan has become a meal ticket.
September 29th, 2005 at 1:43 pm
[...] The Anchoress is on today. She said her contract with Speaking Matters, which has not yet disclosed how much a Sheehan appearance will cost, will help her “finally make some money …’cause Casey’s insurance money’s going to run out pretty soon. [...]
September 29th, 2005 at 2:49 pm
Oh, come on Anchoress… they support the troops. Everyone knows that. They’re against the war but support the troops!
They want to dismantle the armed forces.. but they support the troops!
They want to eliminate the livelihood of these guys, and force them to abandon the mission they care about… but… oh, I can’t even say it again. I’m feeling ill.
September 29th, 2005 at 7:46 pm
[...] gets little coverage First Temple-era Discoveries A Grotesque Peggy Noonan - a perfect piece Blanco asked NO QUESTIONS about Katrina (UPDATED) Feast of the Holy Archangels Buster and Generation Bliss Yer Bull Connor Reminder! Burlingame -Warrior Princess Vote for Jake Another Katrina Victim Chuck and Tom - only Tom matters (WAY Updated) Book in the mail, today Katrina Facts and Fiction NY Times correction Press photos tell the story? Find a position and HOLD IT! Having nothing to offer but hate… Fisking “Think Progress” [...]
February 8th, 2006 at 11:29 am
[...] The Anchoress writes about the grotesqueness of Cindy Sheehan and her effect on the soldiers serving in Iraq. Scroll down to her update. [...]