Another Gold Star Mom Speaks Out

[Twist_U_Up]

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Mike Ferner

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/05/08/con05293.html

“Some people are trying to paint her as one crazy woman against the war, and she’s not. A lot of people feel like her and want to know what the noble cause is,” said Karen Meredith, referring to Cindy Sheehan.

Meredith should know. Her son, Ken Ballard, was killed in Iraq. And she’s going to Crawford, Texas this weekend.

However, the 51 year-old mother, whose only child was killed by small arms fire in Najaf, May 30, 2004, is making the trip from Mountain View California for somewhat different reasons than what prompted Sheehan to camp out near George Bush’s vacation home and wait for an answer.

“Personally, I don’t want to meet with the President. I don’t think there’s anything he could tell me,” Meredith said. “One of the reasons I’m going is because there’s a whole other story going on besides Cindy. I don’t want to take anything away from her,” but wants to keep the focus on the larger question of the war in Iraq.

Meredith’s presence and that focus will apparently be appreciated by Sheehan, whose cause has attracted worldwide media attention. Quoted in papers across the country today from the camp named after her son, Casey, Sheehan said, “The media focused more on me and not the message. I’m not the only one that wants answers.”

In an interview this morning, Meredith explained that although she is against the war, “people need to understand that we’re not anti-military,” adding that her father is a retired Lt. Colonel and her son, a 27 year-old Lieutenant, was a fourth-generation Army officer. “But we never got a proper explanation for why we should invade Iraq.”

Active in Gold Star Families for Peace, Meredith handles the mounting email traffic for the group and corresponds with many other families who have lost loved ones in Iraq. “All our stories are sad, and people need to know that. Every day we hear the news and it just takes us back to that first day when we learned he was killed.” She said several family members from the organization are in Crawford and others are arriving.
<more at link>

[AuntPatsy]

1. Kick.

[DanCa]

2. Yo chimpy listen up.

Were a rainbow made of children
were an army singing a song
aint no weapon that can stop us
rain bow love is
far to strong

[Twist_U_Up]

4. nice

:grouphug:

[me b zola]

6. Very nice

:grouphug:

DanCa, you continue to warm my heart. Lots of love your way :hug:

[ET Awful]

8. Billy Jack is that you?

Well not him actually, but the kids at the school were hitting the sheriff with that tune if my brain remembers properly :)

[DanCa]

9. yeppers BJ and Superman

made me the liberal that I am . :D

[babylonsister]

3. Nice to see Cindy's getting some support; I wondered

how many Gold Star families were involved.

[DanCa]

11. Cindy's a symbol now

As much as I love her the movement is more than one person now. Georgie can't stop us.

[Twist_U_Up]

12. This really puts the crawford coward up a tree

I'm gonna love every minute of it too!!!


:bounce:

[DanCa]

13. Men start wars, it takes mothers to stop them.

Someone said that at the vigil last night. I dont know who.

[Karenina]

14. It isn't about holding Cindy up

as an icon to be attacked and stomped by your psychotic *corporate media and society, it's about the "QUESTION W" she has raised (RIP, Nostamj) WHAT IS THE NOBLE CAUSE???

Is the "Noble Cause" about:

Invading a country that posed NO PHYSICAL THREAT to the U.S.?
Kicking their ass and taking their gas while spewing "democracy and liberty?"
Sending your OWN into a theatre without a proper mission, sufficient supplies or an agreed upon plan?
ROYALLY lining the pockets of Halliburton and KBR?
MURDERING CHILDREN WHOLESALE (kill 'em before they multiply)?
DESTROYING the "cradle of civilization" and the historical record?

I could go on, but I'd rather sleep now...

[Cha]

5. Great! I know this is going

to make Cindy Plenty Happy!

[fearnobush]

7. Kicked and nominated

whowa

[bonito]

10. The truth is marching on!

[Miss Chybil]

15. Amen! nt

[lateo]

16. NPR's "Day to Day" had a thing poo-pooing...

Sheehan and there was a woman on there who runs a website who claims there is 100 Gold Star Mothers in membership who said Sheehan doesn't speak for them.

It was such BS but that is expected from NPR's Day to Day.

[Stinky The Clown]

17. As I have said many times ... Gold Star Mothers Trump EVERYTHING

Thank you, Mrs. Meredith.

And thank you to each and every Gold Star Mother for every war we've ever fought.

I have a WWII Gold Star Mother aunt. The living room memorials never go away.

But idiot son would never understand that.

[cthrumatrix]

18. media will be baffled with more than "one voice" dissenting

[txindy]

19. It's GSFP like Meredith who will carry on in Cindy's absence

These families have the moral authority with the public to question Junior and his 'war'. He can't duck them all, esp. the ones with whom he has never met. What's his justification? He can't say he met with them already and meeting them a second time would inspire everyone in the country to seek a meeting with him. He can't say their views have flip-flopped since their first meeting. He can't say anything.

The GSFP must carry on this protest in Crawford. It'll only draw more moral power with Cindy's absence because she is the messenger, her message is the truth and that message is shared by all of the GSFP. Junior cannot focus on the one messenger. She's gone to her mother's bedside in CA. Others will step up and carry on.

[Twist_U_Up]

20. Question ?

will this be the medias way out ?

you know Cindy left therefore it must be over with..

I can see it already

[txindy]

21. I hope not. The story just got bigger.

I would hope they'd cover Camp Casey simply to see what the fallout will be. When the Gold Star families step up and the protest continues as is, the story isn't over. Not if they're vocal. That's the key, I think. The media could've ignored Cindy, too, out on that farm road, but they didn't. I don't think they can ignore this, either. The 'Cindys' with the moral authority to ask the pResident these questions have multiplied in Crawford. So have the nuts challenging them with shotguns, pickups, and fake SS claims.