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 Greetings! You are reading an article from The Mudville Gazette. To reach the front page, with all the latest news and views, click the logo above or "main" below. Thanks for stopping by! March 13, 2006 Blogging the Cindy SheehanigansBy Mrs GreyhawkWell the big protest in Germany with Cindy Sheehan was pretty much a bust. The 400 expected to turn out dwindled to approximately 25 - 30. And Cindy was a no-show. She claims injuries due to Police brutality sustained during her arrest at the UN kept her from attending. However, I suspect it had more to do with restictions on flying to a foreign country while out on bail. (What kind of birds don't fly? Jailbirds!) When the four of us. Missy Beattie, Rev. Patricia Ackerman, Medea Benjamin, and I, were arrested the other day, I was singled out for federal police brutality. The other three ladies were picked up, noth gingerly, though, and I was dragged across the pavement and treated very, very roughly—having both arms wrenched out from beneath me. I looked to my doctor as if I had been beaten. My daughter, Janey, asked if I had been resisting arrest, I told her if one considers going into a fetal position and saying, "Please don't hurt me anymore!" resisting, then I guess I was.This isn't the first time she's claimed police brutality. But apparently Cindy didn't feel it was vital to inform those who were expecting her to lead this vigil that she would not be coming to Europe. ...Refering to your earlier mail and concerning the cancallation you were mentioning: the groups in our area (Kaiserslautern, Landstuhl, Ramstein) have not received any cancellation. I have no official cancellation and just knew that she did not make the plane I was planning on meeting, therefore I would not be coming your way. Which is why I informed you of same (re sleeping place, etc.) I think/hope! that you have been in touch with Elsa since this mail was sent and have received more specific information, as hers is the central office on this.And: According to the following article posted in Stars and Stripes, Cindy can't come to Europe because her doctor "forbade it". I find it extremely unfortunate that we should find this out from a newspaper article. But it looks pretty clear now.According to Elsa Rassbach of American Voices Abroad: Because we have no first-hand information, and only contradictory information, it does not seem like a good idea to put out a press release or statement, as there is nothing definitive that we can say. I discussed this late yesterday afternoon with our contact at the European Parliament, and the MEPs leading this project there do not think it appropriate to issue a press release or statement at this time.Well regardless if it was political repression, police brutality or bail restrictions that kept Cindy from fulfilling her commitment the demonstration went on without her. As MaryAnn and I approached their camp for photos, I thought that with all the rainbow flags I was watching a gay pride event. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)   The AVA (American Voices Abroad) has hailed this event a success: Congratulations, Elsa on the well done successes of of the Landstuhl event; A conference of locals, politicians, and activists from, other parts of Germany and the world who were brought together to highlight the continued occupation of Germany at Landstuhl by American troops. The occupation that makes all other occupations possible. I learnt a lot and am grateful for all the wonderful people I met.I met Steve Mraz, reporter for Stars and Stripes, and Raymond, a photographer, and they seemed like a couple of stand up guys who stay unbiased and reported exactly what occurred. Not sure what this guy's problem was with Steve's article. In spite of the bad weather, those of us who were rallying in support of our troops and our German-American partnership enjoyed meeting each other - many for the fist time. I was able to meet MaryAnn of Soldier's Angels Germany, Dr. Stefan Prystawik, and a few college students from a local university.    
  Kudos to the Polizei - no doubt they had better ways to spend their weekend, but they were extremely professional and very courteous. We've lived in Germany for several years now, and have found the people here to be wonderful. We'll always have fond memories of our time here and the friends we've made. But I never expected to be part of a rally organized by Germans to counter a protest organized by Americans! Posted by Mrs Greyhawk / March 13, 2006 5:26 PM | Permalink 9 TrackBacksI thought having Spring Break this week would mean a Blog-O-Rama on my part. I didn't have to wait until my lunch hour or after work to blog, I thought, but I forgot that for today, at least, I'd be Read More It turns out that Cindy didn't make it to Germany. Apparently, she didn't feel the need to inform her supporters in Germany that she wasn't coming, they found out by reading the Stars and Stripes. Want a good laugh? Go visit the AVA discussion boards t... Read More Peace activist Cindy Sheehan (2nd R) is arrested by police officers after blocking the door to the U.S. Mission offices in New York March 6, 2006. The Mudville Gazette: Blogging the Cindy Sheehanigans Well the big protest in Germany with Cindy Sheehan... Read More What if they gave a protest and only the good guys showed up? Mrs. G. has the story here. See also Holly Aho and Michelle Malkin. Read More How many times has Mother Moonbat been arrested now? Isn’t there a 3-strikes rule that applies to this idiot? ... Read More Blogging the Cindy Sheehanigans is a wonderful read over at Mudville Gazette. First, start with the link above and enjoy the great photos that come with the post. Then ... Read More Cindy Sheehan plans to visit Germany (see update below) this upcoming weekend to spread her message of retreat and defeat as she marches from a church in Landstuhl (a town where wounded American soldiers are treated) to a location outside Read More Mrs. Greyhawk from Mudville Gazette reports that the reason Cindy didn’t make it to Germany to bash the troops over there because she was “singled out for abuse” when she was arrested at the UN last week. The funny thing, is Cindy ... Read More Finally getting my post up on the Cindy Flop in Germany, due to travel and one of the worst cases of flu I've had in years. As expected, Cindy did not show up, using her "brutalization" by the NYPD the week before as an excuse. Being out on bail pr... Read More 16 Comments |
November 26, 2010America@war [Greyhawk]
I think anyone who's ever pondered the "comment" option - once only available on blogs and bulletin boards, now ubiquitous on almost any web site - will appreciate this:
The so-called faculty of writing is not so much a faculty of writing as it is a faculty of thinking. When a man says, "I have an idea but I can't express it"; that man hasn't an idea but merely a vague feeling. If a man has a feeling of that kind, and will sit down for a half an hour and persistently try to put into writing what he feels, the probabilities are at least 90 percent that he will either be able to record it, or else realize that he has no idea at all. In either case, he will do himself a benefit. That's wisdom from the past, captured for posterity at the US Naval Institute, shared via the web on the institute's 137th anniversary. From their about page:
"The Naval Institute has three core activities," among them, History and Preservation: The Naval Institute also has recently introduced Americans at War, a living history of Americans at war in their own words and from their own experiences. These 90-second vignettes convey powerful stories of inspiration, pride, and patriotism. Take a look at the collection, and you'll see it's not limited to accounts from those who served on ships at sea, members of the other branches are well-represented. I'm fortunate to have met USNI's Mary Ripley, she's responsible for the institute's oral history program (and she's the daughter of the late John Ripley, whose story is told here). She also deserves much credit for their blog. ("We're not the Navy nor any government agency. Blog and comment freely.") We met at a milblog conference - Mary knew (and I would come to realize) that milbloggers are the 21st-century version of exactly what the US Naval Institute is all about. Once that light bulb came on in my head, I mentioned a vague idea for a project to her - milblogs as the 21st century oral history that they are. "Put that in writing," she said (of course - see first paragraph above!) - and here's part of the result. Shortly after the first tent was pitched by the American military in Iraq a wire was connected to a computer therein, and the internet was available to a generation of Americans at war - many of whom had grown up online. From that point on, at any given moment, somewhere in Iraq a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine was at a keyboard sharing the events of his or her day with the folks back home. While most would simply fire off an email, others took advantage of the (then) relatively new online blogging platforms to post their thoughts and experiences for the entire world to see. The milblog was born - and from that moment to this stories detailing everything from the most mundane aspects of camp life to intense combat action (often described within hours of the event) have been available on the web... And et cetera - but since you're reading this on a milblog, you probably knew that. And you know that milblogs aren't just blogs written by troops at war, that many friends, family members, and supporters likewise documented their story of America at war online in near-real time, as those stories developed. The diversity in membership of that group is broad, the one thing we all have in common is the impulse to make sense of the seemingly senseless, and communicate the tale - for each of us that impulse was strong enough to overcome whatever barriers prevent the vast majority of people from doing the same. Everyone at some point has some vague idea they believe should be shared - we were the people who, from some combination of internal and external urging, found and spent those many half hours persistently trying to write it down. But where will all that be in another 137 years? Or five or ten, for that matter. That's something I've asked myself since at least 2004 - when I wrote this:
Membership in the ghost battalion has grown in the years since, and an ever growing majority of those abandoned-but-still-standing sites are vanishing. Have you checked out Lt Smash's site lately? How about Sgt Hook's? If you're a long-time milblog reader you know the first widely-read milblog from Operation Iraq Freedom and the first widely-read milblog from Afghanistan are both gone from the web. If you're a relative newcomer to this world you may never even have heard of them - or the dozens upon dozens of others who carried forth the standard they set down. If you have a vague notion that something should be done about that, (a notion I've heard expressed more than once...) then you and I and the good folks at the US Naval Institute are in agreement. Preserving the history documented by the milbloggers is just one of the goals of the milblog project, the once-vague idea that we're now making real. And it's a big idea, if I say so myself - too big to explain in one simple blog post, so stand by for more. Likewise, it's too big a task to be accomplished by just one person. So if you're a milblogger (and exactly what is a milblogger? is a topic for much further discussion on its own) I'm asking for your help. All I'll really need is just a little bit (maybe just one or two of those half hours...) of your time, and your willingness to tell the tale. We've already made history, it's time to save it. (More to follow...) Posted 4:02 PM | Permalink |
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The Mudville Gazette is the on-line voice of an American warrior and his wife who stands by him. They prefer to see peaceful change render force of arms unnecessary. Until that day they stand fast with those who struggle for freedom, strike for reason, and pray for a better tomorrow.
 
 
 Furthermore, I will occasionally use satire or parody herein. The bottom line: it's my house. I like having visitors to my house. I hope you are entertained. I fight for your right to free speech, and am thrilled when you exercise said rights here. Comments and e-mails are welcome, but all such communication is to be assumed to be 1)the original work of any who initiate said communication and 2)the property of the Mudville Gazette, with free use granted thereto for publication in electronic or written form. If you do NOT wish to have your message posted, write "CONFIDENTIAL" in the subject line of your email. Original content copyright © 2003 - 2011 by Greyhawk. Fair, not-for-profit use of said material by others is encouraged, as long as acknowledgement and credit is given, to include the url of the original source post. Other arrangements can be made as needed. Contact: greyhawk at mudvillegazette dot com  Tending Distant Far from hearth and home, watching What tales we'll tell When things grim Some distant sunset, vision fading Saluting fallen friends whose names - Greyhawk, Baghdad, December 2004 |
I've worked with a few reporters for Stars & Stripes, and as far as I can tell, they've all been hard-working guys interested in getting facts. Not being under the same constraints Army public affairs soldiers are, they've got a quite a bit more latitude when it comes to reporting on the military. I suppose the only thing that would satisfy the Rainbow Brigade there would be out-and-out pro-Sheehan propaganda, and any writer with a working frontal lobe isn't going to apply for that job in a hurry.
Is anyone interested in starting a "Send Cindy to Iraq" fund? I'm sure they'd love her act there. I for one, would pay to see her trying to demonstrate in Baghdad without US protection.
Damned shame about those big mean cops hurting poor widdle Cindy just for refusing to obey the law. Of course if she's really dedicated to the cause she won't let a little adversity slow her down, will she? Poor thing. Can't even afford a headstone for Casey's grave -- I guess a quarter $mil doesn't go as far as it used to.
As an ex-S&S-er myself, thank you for standing up for Stephen Mraz and the photographer. I'm guessing Mraz is an enlisted man who is trying his damnedest to show no bias one way or another.
I'm betting that Cindy's ticket was 'one-way'.
The organizers of their event probably thought they could pass the hat to fund Cindy's return.
From the looks of the 'crowd' it was probably smart for the smartest woman in the anti-American community to stay home...
wilsonkolb:
"So, my good wingnuts, when the incompetent, poorly-led U.S. military finally loses the Iraq War, who will you blame it on? Jane Fonda? Hillary Clinton? Maybe not! It's CINDY SHEEHAN's fault! Yeah, she did it!"
We can see how eagerly you anticipate that outcome. Why not go to Iraq and help your dream come true?
What a pathetic group you people are.
If you think the world wants to listen to a single word that spews out of poor Cindy's mouth then you are truly delusional.
Charming pic of me, Mrs. G. Thanks.
Hope to return the favor some day ;-)
Too bad the cops didn't break her arms off and beat her to death with the stumps. Now that would have been police brutality. These people are pathetic and should have their citizenship revoked. As for the American occupation of Germany, I say lets move the entire military community from Germany to Poland. The Poles are a staunch US ally and certainly deserve the economic support military bases provide the local community. And I do not believe you would find any anti-American hatred there.
Been at that location, know the area well, and the German people. I spent almost every day visiting towns and talking to common, ordinary people. They know the good guys from the bad ones. Some are leftovers from the failed communist system from East Germany, however, and long for the system like that in the USA that rewards those who do nothing. Good people--look at their last election and see the changes.
You know, Cindy annoys me, enrages me, and makes me sick for the damage she causes, but I am taking solace in her self-destruction. Its gradual, but its there. Ulitmately, she is a self-absorbed narcissist, and even the left-wing groups which make use of her will have to cut bait.
Eventually she will end up in an institution, and the matter will hopefully be settled once and for all.
Sheehan confronts a paradox - someday both George Bush will be out of office and the US will be out of Iraq (odds favor leaving with victory secured) - but Sheehan will have the rest of her life to live with no president or war to protest. Unless, of course, she has another son or daughter willing to die in either Iraq, No. Korea or Venezuela (just ask her bud Hugo...) for her cause to keep her face in our faces.
Steve, not sure who you are addressing.
Teresa, just for the record, most of those at the support the troops rally were German. There were more Americans on the "Camp Casey" side.
Don, Stars and Stripes "local" reporters are civilians. Along with their contributions the the paper also runs stories from the AP, Washington Post, etc., and even columnists like Arianna Huffington.
At one time I figured if I ever contacted a terminal disease I was going to take a statistics course so that 3 months would seem like forever, but now I have a better plan, I'll start reading about Cindy Sheehanigans so that 15 minutes will seem like an eternity.
Don't get me started on Ms. Sheehan. While I understand her grief, I do not understand her hypocrisy. I think if we ignore her she will go away. Already she is needing publicity as her cause is losing steam. She can't afford a headstone for her son? Well, guess what. I don't think we ought to dis Casey's memory and we should chip in to buy him one and donate it anonymously.
That she has not done so tells me she truly doesn't care about him or memorializing him except to belittle what he fought and died for.
We lived in Germany for a few years during the Cold War and found that the older Germans were wonderful and the ones our age were clueless, having grown up in the peace and security that America and Britain provided...and now that troop strength is down, and ME immigration is up, the Gen Exers of the 1980s are the parents and grandparents of today and are seeing the truth.
I was in Wal Mart the other day...and two women who work there are from Europe. One is from Germany and the other from Poland. They BOTH said that this country is the greatest place in the world to live.
Imagine that.
I can.
Maybe Cindy and her supporters should move their protest to Dachau or Buchenwald. Those facilities are just as relevant, being that Cindy is stuck in the past. The fact is, Iraq is a very different place now than it was in 2003 and it needs our support. Cindy is still arguing over moral legitimacy of the 2003 invasion. As an OIF vet living in Germany, I realized that many of my German friends who opposed the war in Iraq were also opposed to the NATO attack on Serbia. They weren't for the wholesale ethnic cleansing in fmr Yugoslavia, but they weren't for stopping it either. It took the U.S. (again) to pacify that situation. Germans ashamed of their aggressive past should not make the same mistakes again by mistaking pacivity for action. By the way, Smith Barracks in Baumholder has a small shrine to freedom outside of its main gate. It's made up of pro-American posters and slogans. At the end of the day, no one is going to help. No one but the USA.