UPDATES ON CINDY SHEEHAN VISIT TO CRAWFORD
Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005
(Reverse Time Order — More Recent Entries Toward Top)
8:15 p.m.
Michael Harvey reporting for The Iconoclast.
The pro-peace group now numbers about 30 at Camp Casey, as most are at the Peace House, planning tomorrow’s activities and discussing the events of today.
There remain about five individuals from the pro-Bush group at the camp area, who it appears may be here awhile. They have signs with photos of Casey Sheehan. The text on the sign says “Freedom isn’t free.”
There are high clouds in the sky; it is very humid and gray out here. Traffic is minimal. I'm heading now to the Peace House.
5:35 p.m.
Nathan Diebenow reporting for The Iconoclast:
Several photos of today's event appear at the bottom of this section.
The pro-Bush counter-protestors left Houston at 5 a.m. and arrived at Crawford around 10 a.m. at Camp Casey. The event was organized by members of FreeRepublic.com.
Marine mother Gale Muskiet of Houston estimated that there were 400 in her group that lined up in support of Bush hoping to catch a glimpse of him as he drove on Prairie Chapel Road. The group left there reportedly after 12:30 p.m. for the parking lot of Pirate Field in Crawford. Many of the members of the group had to walk halfway because of traffic congestion.
The 400 estimate has, however, been disputed by others present, who say that the number was considerably less than that.
At the counter-protest rally four Marine moms spoke in support of President Bush and the war on terrorism saying that the United States must stay the course and that their children chose to join the military of their own free will.
There was a member of the group that dressed up like the Statue of Liberty.
The military moms present were Gale Muskiet, Julie Swain, Ann Semien, and Linda Prince.
When asked if more counter-protest groups will be coming this week, Muskiet said, "If she's willing to continue on her campaign, I would hope the American people would say enough is enough and take a pro-active response."
Linda Prince of Centerville questioned the use of the memorial crosses at Camp Casey with the names of the servicemen who died in Iraq because not all of them or their families would agree with Sheehan's views on ending the Iraq war immediately.
Dr. Raoul Deming, a member of FreeRepublic.com, called the pro-peace demonstrators un-American because, he said, the host organizations have ties with communists.
ABOUT 50 PRO-BUSH SUPPORTERS came out to Pirate Field in Crawford Saturday to rally for the families of U.S. soldiers who believe their mission is not yet accomplished in Iraq. The event was organized by FreeRepublic.com, a conservative news discussion website.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
OVER 300 PRO-PEACE SUPPORTERS came out to Tonkawa Falls Park in Crawford Saturday to rally for the families of U.S. soldiers that want President Bush to quickly remove U.S. troops from Iraq. The event was organized by Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, and Military Families Speak Out.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
MEMBERS OF GOLD STAR FAMILIES FOR PEACE were at centerstage during the Pro-Peace Rally in Tonkawa Falls Park in Crawford Saturday.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
MARINE MOTHERS FOR BUSH were at center stage during a pro-Bush, pro-U.S. troops rally outside Pirate Field in Crawford Saturday.
— Iconoclast Photo By Nathan Diebenow
1:48 p.m.
Nathan Diebenow reporting for The Iconoclast:
People are leaving the rally at Tonkawa Falls park. They are putting pink and yellow ribbons on the antennas of their cars. Licence plates include Virginia, Colorado, Arizona, and Missouri.
The Crawford police have stopped traffic along the road leading to Camp Casey. The pro-peace rallyers are stuck there awaiting the arrival of the McLennan County Sheriff's Department. It is hot in the cars. I was allowed to go through, being press, to the Peace House to talk more about what happened.
Three times during the rally, there were helicopters circling. Again, they did not look like media helicopters.
Speakers at the rally included members of Veterans for Peace, Gold Star Families for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, and Iraq Veterans Against The War. Names of the speakers included Ann Wright, Dante Zappala, Hadi Jawad, David Cline, Barbara Porchia, Celeste Zappala, Lietta Rugger, Linda and Phil Waste, Tim Goodrich, Beatriz Salidvar, Jean Prewitt, Sheri Glover, and Sue Niederer.
There were also two female musicians who performed folk and blues music.
Celeste Zappala said how proud she was of her son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, the first Pennsylvania National Guardsman to die in combat since World War II.
Sue Niederer of Pennington, N.J. said, "Bring the troops home now and take care of them."
She thanked Cindy Sheehan for making Crawford "our home for the month of August." She noted that there were 25 families with Gold Star Families for Peace at the rally and she encouraged the people at the rally to attend the September pro-peace events in Washington, D.C.
She had two questions for President Bush and his supporters: Why aren't Barbara and Jenna Bush fighting in Iraq? and Why not the children of others who support this administration's policies join this war? Niederer said that she "hoped to hell" that the draft is coming and said that she would personally like to see if any children of Bush supporters would enlist in the military.
Phil Waste of Hinesville, Ga. said that there are not traitors here as suggested by right-wing media pundits over the course of thisweek. He and his wife have three sons and two grandchildren, a grandson and a granddaughter who are active military. In total, they have spent over 57 months in Iraq.
This afternoon, one of the singers will perform at Camp Casey and another rally will be held. They wanted eveyone who hasn't seen the Arlington West crosses from Los Angeles to see them. They were created by Veterans for Peace members.
The pro-Bush contingency is right outside the Pirate Field in the parking lot, carrying around large American flags. They number about 50 people, including a man with a loudspeaker on the back of a pickup truck.
About 300 people were at the pro-peace rally.
12:25 p.m.
Update from the Iconoclast's Nathan Diebenow:
I drove into Crawford Texas off 317. The first thing I see is a Carter Blood Drive going on at the Masonic Lodge, people with motorcycles and flashy sports cars lingering outside.
I drive a block or two farther and bikers are on the corner of Spanos' Coffee Station. Signs on the corner say, "Stay the course."
I drive through town. Kids are on bikes riding around. One is driving a riding lawn mower on the street going downtown. There's a lot of activity at the Peace House, cars parked.
I turn into the parking lot area to the park. There are some flags by Pirate Field, military style, counter-protestors. Driving farther, there's a red Chevy truck coming toward me with a sign saying, "Texas Is Bush Country," playing hard rock music.
I park, and from the looks of it, there are a lot of Texas license plates, anti-Bush bumper stickers, Texas Democrat stickers, Howard Dean stickers. A couple of windows have shoe polish print that say, "Talk to Cindy." In all, there are about 200 cars around, and 300 people.
I hear a loud "Welcome to Crawford from people at the Cindy Sheehan rally."
The rallyers "boo" for the President. There are a lot of children in attendance, elementary-school-age and up.
I just talked with a college student, Ansel Herz, who is passing around a petition on the Sudan genocide. The organizers here talked about not petitioning and keeping the message on Cindy.
"I think Sudan is serious enough to gather signatures," said Herz. "I am definitely behind Cindy all the way". He said he watched the interview on Democracy Now. From that, he said it is obvious she is speaking from her heart.
I talked to Dawn Farrell, 35, of Grapvine, who works an accounting firm. She was holding a sign that had Bush giving the middle finger (an outstake from TV that was not aired at the time he did it) and below the image the sign says "Warmonger." She said that she thinks Cindy is going to stay and Bush will not meet with her.
Other posters I'm seeing say: "War's not the answer." "Real Texans don't hide." "Why aren't your daughters fighting in Iraq?" "Denver Moms for Peace."
I spoke with the woman holdilng that poster. DeAnn Major, has one child, and is an advocate for people with disabilities. She drove down here from Denver alone, noting that it took 15 hours. She said she tried to get some friends to come, too, but one of them said "no" becasue her car didn't have any air conditioning. She said there was a lot rain and traffic during the trip, but that she is hoping to come down next weekend for another rally. She said, "I think it's going to gain momentum. I don't care if it takes 15 hours. If this is the beginning of the end of the war, then I have to be here. I can't wait for my friends to come with me. I'm on my own."
There's a Veterans for Peace guy handing out T-shirts.
Before the rally people were conversing. It was a pleasant atmosphere.
At 12:09, a helicopter circled overhead. Some think it might have been a Secret Service helicopter.
11:05 a.m.
Coordinator Ann Wright said, “There are about 50 Republicans here walking the mile and a half up the road from the Broken Spoke Ranch to Camp Casey. They get to walk on the road. They put us in the ditch, but those who support Bush get the road. I don’t understand that. It is so hot and these people are planning to walk all the way. We’re here at the Peace House now getting ready for the rally in the park at noon.”
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