Roberts Vote - A really good Cindy S. interview - Vets Report

Keep track for the '06 election

We must be united to overcome the destruction of our country. This show's us who is not united in our cause. "We the people" will get the people in office who will be united for a better America. I am ashamed this is what we gave our children. They deserve much better from us.

 

Yes (23)                                  No (22)

Blanche Lincoln (Ark.)                   Barbara Boxer (Calif.)   

Mark Pryor (Ark.)                          Dianne Feinstein (Calif.)  

Ken Salazar (Colo.)                       Joe Biden (Del.)  

Chris Dodd (Conn.)                        Daniel Akaka (Hawaii)  

Joe Lieberman (Conn.)                   Daniel Ionuye (Hawaii) 

Tom Carper (Del.)                         Dick Durbin (Ill.)  

 Bill Nelson (Fla.)                         Barack Obama (Ill.)  

Mary Landrieu (La.)                                      Evan Bayh (Ind.)  

Carl Levin (Mich.)                                           Tom Harkin (Iowa)  

Max Baucus (Mont.)                          Ted Kennedy (Mass.) 

  Ben Nelson (Neb.)                           John Kerry (Mass.)  

 Jeff Bingaman (N.M.)                         Barbara Mikulski (Md.) 

  Kent Conrad (N.D.)                                           Paul Sarbanes (Md.)  

 Byron Dorgan (N.D.)                           Debbie Stabenow (Mich.)  

 Ron Wyden (Ore.)                              <FONTCOLOR=#0000FF>Mark Dayton (Minn.)  

 Tim Johnson (S.D.)                            Harry Reid (Nev.) 

 Jim Jeffords (Vt.)                              Jon Corzine (N.J.)  

Pat Leahy (Vt.)                                   Frank Lautenberg (N.J.)  

Patty Murray (Wash.)                              Hillary Clinton (N.Y.)  

Robert Byrd (W.Va.)                              Chuck Schumer (N.Y.)  

Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.)                            Jack Reed (R.I.)  

Russ Feingold (Wis.)                                Maria Cantwell (Wash.)  

Herb Kohl (Wis.)    

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Tomdispatch Interview: Cindy Sheehan, Our Imploding President

[Note to Tomdispatchreaders: This is the third in an ongoing series of interviews at the site. The first two were with Howard Zinn and James Carroll. Tom]

Katrina Will Be Bush's Monica A Tomdispatch Interview with Cindy Sheehan

My brief immersion in the almost unimaginable life of Cindy Sheehan begins on the Friday before the massive antiwar march past the White House. I take a cab to an address somewhere at the edge of Washington DC -- a city I don't know well -- where I'm to have a quiet hour with her. Finding myself on a porch filled with peace signs and vases of roses (assumedly sent for Sheehan), I ring the doorbell, only to be greeted by two barking dogs but no human beings. Checking my cell phone, I discover a message back in New York from someone helping Sheehan out. Good Morning America has just called; plans have changed. Can I make it to Constitution and 15th by five? I rush to the nearest major street and, from a bus stop, fruitlessly attempt to hail a cab. The only empty one passes me by and a young black man next to me offers an apologetic commentary: "I hate to say this, but they probably think you're hailing it for me and they don't want to pick me up." On his recommendation, I board a bus, leaping off (twenty blocks of crawl later) at the sight of a hotel with a cab stand.

A few minutes before five, I'm finally standing under the Washington monument, beneath a cloud-dotted sky, in front of "Camp Casey," a white tent with a blazing red "Bring them home tour" banner. Behind the tent is a display of banged-up, empty soldiers' boots; and then, stretching almost as far as the eye can see or the heart can feel, a lawn of small white crosses, nearly two thousand of them, some with tiny American flags planted in the nearby ground. In front of the serried ranks of crosses is a battered looking metal map of the United States rising off a rusty base. Cut out of it are the letters, "America in Iraq, killed ___, wounded ___." (It's wrenching to note that, on this strange sculpture with eternal letters of air, only the figures of 1,910 dead and 14,700 wounded seem ephemeral, written as they are in white chalk over a smeared chalk background, evidence of numerous erasures.)

This is, at the moment, Ground Zero for the singular movement of Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey, who was killed in Sadr City, Baghdad on April 4, 2004, only a few days after arriving in Iraq. Her movement began in the shadows and on the Internet, but burst out of a roadside ditch in Crawford, Texas, and, right now, actually seems capable of changing the political map of America. When I arrive, Sheehan is a distant figure, walking with a crew from Good Morning America amid the white crosses. I'm told by Jodie, a stalwart of Code Pink, the women's antiwar group, in a flamboyant pink-feathered hat, just to hang in there along with Joan Baez, assorted parents of soldiers, vets, admirers, tourists, press people, and who knows who else.

As Sheehan approaches, she's mobbed. She hugs some of her greeters, poses for photos with others, listens briefly while people tell her they came all the way from California or Colorado just to see her, and accepts the literal T-shirt off the back of a man, possibly a vet, with a bandana around his forehead, who wants to give her "the shirt off my back." She is brief and utterly patient. She offers a word to everyone and anyone. At one point, a man shoves a camera in my hand so that he and his family can have proof of this moment -- as if Cindy Sheehan were already some kind of national monument, which in a way she is.

But, of course, she's also one human being, even if she's on what the psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton would call a "survivor mission" for her son. Exhaustion visibly inhabits her face. (Later, she'll say to me, "Most people, if they came with me for a day, would be in a coma by eleven A.M.") She wears a tie-dyed, purple T-shirt with "Veterans for Peace" on the front and "waging peace" on the back. Her size surprises me. She's imposing, far taller than I expected, taller certainly than my modest five-foot, six inches. Perhaps I'm startled only because I'd filed her away -- despite every strong commentary I'd read by her – as a grieving mother and so, somehow, a diminished creature.

And then, suddenly, a few minutes after five, Jodie is hustling me into the backseat of a car with Cindy Sheehan beside me, and Joan Baez beside her. Cindy's sister Dede, who wears an "Anything war can do, peace can do better" T-shirt and says to me later, "I'm the behind-the-scenes one, I'm the quiet one," climbs into the front seat. As soon as the car leaves the curb, Cindy turns to me: "We better get started."

"Now?" I ask, flustered at the thought of interviewing her under such chaotic conditions. She offers a tired nod -- I'm surely the 900th person of this day -- and says, "It's the only way it'll happen." And so, with my notebook (tiny printed questions scattered across several pages) on my knees, clutching my two cheap tape recorders for dear life and shoving them towards her, we begin:

Tomdispatch: You've said that the failed bookends of George Bush's presidency are Iraq and Katrina. And here we are with parts of New Orleans flooded again. Where exactly do you see us today?

Cindy Sheehan: Well, the invasion of Iraq was a serious mistake, and the invasion and occupation have been seriously mismanaged. The troops don't have what they need. The money's being dropped into the pockets of war profiteers and not getting to our soldiers. It's a political war. Not only should we not be there, it's making our country very vulnerable. It's creating enemies for our children's children. Killing innocent Arabic Muslims, who had no animosity towards the United States and meant us no harm, is only creating more problems for us.

Katrina was a natural disaster that nobody could help, but the man-made disaster afterwards was just horrible. I mean, number one, all our resources are in Iraq. Number two, what little resources we did have were deployed far too late. George Bush was golfing and eating birthday cake with John McCain while people were hanging off their houses praying to be rescued. He's so disconnected from this country -- and from reality. I heard a line yesterday that I thought was perfect. This man said he thinks Katrina will be Bush's Monica. Only worse.

TD: It seems logical that the families of dead soldiers should lead an antiwar movement, but historically it's almost unique. I wondered if you had given some thought to why it happened here and now.

CS: That's like people asking me, "Why didn't anybody ever think of going to George Bush's ranch to protest anything?"

 

READ MORE:TomDispatch - Tomdispatch Interview: Cindy Sheehan, Our Imploding President

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Wednesday September 28th, 2005
Here on the Moon

Today we went to St. Bernard's Parish in New Orleans. I had heard a lot about it on the local radio and really wanted to see it. It is just next to the 9th Ward and it was totally under water. The kicker for St. Bernard is that it has an oil refinery and there was an oil spill because of the hurricane. The entire city lay under 9 - 10 ft. Of oily water until it finally drained out.

I was shocked at the devastation. No one will ever live in this city again before they bulldoze everything and re-build from the ground up. And who even knows if they'll ever do that.

Honestly, It was like being on the moon. The grass had died in a way that I can't explain with words. It was white and felt like foam under my feet. The cement had all cracked and it looked like a crater on another planet. The air was thick and hard to breathe. Needless to say we got in and out rather quickly.

We found canals that ran along the once beautiful communities that were now full of oil.

The environmental implications of some area like this sitting dormant in our country are beyond comprehension.

There was NO ONE there. We saw a dog a few guards and that was it for about 90min....

Where are the scientists and the EPA and the clean-up crews?

How can we let this toxic waste land sit there and not do anything?

 

Camp Casey-Covington/Conyers/Some South Florida News

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Cindy and others arrested today

t r u t h o u t - Camp Casey Goes to Washington

 

Cindy Sheehan Arrested at White House
    By TO Staff

    Monday 26 September 2005 2:30 pm.est

    Cindy Sheehan, along with several well-known figures, has been arrested at the front gates of the White House in Washington, DC. Sheehan had attempted once again to gain an audience with George W. Bush, again she was refused. Sheehan and her supporters then proceeded to sit down and pray at a restricted point in front of the White House, she and many others have been arrested.

    Those who have been arrested with her include Cindy's sister Dee Dee, former state department official Ann Wright, Michael Berg the father of slain US contractor Nick Berg, Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and many veterans and their family members.

    More to come.

Sheehan Arrested During Anti-War Protest

By Jennifer C. Kerr / Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Cindy Sheehan, the California woman who has used her son's death in Iraq to spur the anti-war movement, was arrested Monday while protesting outside the White House.

Sheehan and several dozen other protesters sat down on the sidewalk after marching along the pedestrian walkway on Pennsylvania Avenue. Police warned them three times that they were breaking the law by failing to move along, then began making arrests.

Sheehan, 48, was the first taken into custody. She stood up and was handcuffed, then led to a police vehicle while protesters chanted, "The whole world is watching."

Others who were arrested also cooperated with police. Sgt. Scott Fear, spokesman for the U.S. Park Police, said they would be charged with demonstrating without a permit, which is a misdemeanor.

Park Police Sgt. L.J. McNally said Sheehan and the others would be taken to a processing center where they would be fingerprinted and photographed, then given a ticket and released. The process would take several hours, he said.

Sheehan's 24-year-old son, Casey, was killed in an ambush in Sadr City, Iraq, last year. She attracted worldwide attention last month with her 26-day vigil outside President Bush's Texas ranch.

Sheehan was among several hundred demonstrators who marched around the White House on Monday and then stopped in front and began singing and chanting "Stop the war now!" Organizers had said some planned to be arrested.

The demonstration is part of a broader anti-war effort on Capitol Hill organized by United for Peace and Justice, an umbrella group. Representatives from anti-war groups were meeting Monday with members of Congress to urge them to work to end the war and bring home the troops.

The protest following a massive demonstration Saturday on the National Mall that drew a crowd of 100,000 or more, the largest such gathering in the capital since the war began in March 2003.

On Sunday, a rally supporting the war drew roughly 500 participants. Speakers included veterans of World War II and the war in Iraq, as well as family members of soldiers killed in Iraq.

"I would like to say to Cindy Sheehan and her supporters don't be a group of unthinking lemmings. It's not pretty," said Mitzy Kenny of Ridgeley, W.Va., whose husband died in Iraq last year. The anti-war demonstrations "can affect the war in a really negative way. It gives the enemy hope."

My First Time by CindySheehan Mon Sep 26th, 2005 at 16:04:44 PDT

The rumors are true this time. I was arrested in front of the White House today. It was my first time ever being arrested.

We proceeded from Lafayette Park to the Guard House at the White House. I, my sister, and other Gold Star Families for Peace members and some Military Families requested to meet with the President again. We again wanted to know: What is the Noble Cause? Our request was, to our immense shock and surprise, denied. They wouldn't even deliver any letters or pictures of our killed loved ones to the White House.

We all know by now why George won't meet with parents of the soldiers he has killed who disagree with him. First of all, he hates it when people disagree with him. I am not so sure he hates it as much as he is in denial that it even happens. Secondly, he is a coward who arrogantly refuses to meet with the people who pay his salary. Maybe the next time one of us is asked by our bosses to have a performance review, or we are going to be written up for a workplace infraction, we should refuse to go and talk to our bosses sighting the fact that the President doesn't have to. The third reason why he won't talk to us is the he knows there is no Noble Cause for the invasion and continued occupation of Iraq. It is a question that has no true answer.

After we were refused a meeting with the Disconnected One, we went over to right in front of our house...the White House (behind the gate of course) and we sat down and refused to move until George came out and talked to us. We actually had a good time singing old church songs and old protest songs while we waited. I tied a picture of Casey on the White House fence and apparently, that is against the law, too.

After three warnings to get up and move off of the sidewalk in front of our house, we were arrested. It is so ironic to me that the person who resides in our White House swears to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. The person who is the (p)resident of the White House now has no concept of the Constitution. He was appointed by the Supreme Court for his first term, invaded and continues to occupy a sovereign country without a declaration of war from the Congress, and violated several treaties to actually invade, Iraq too. Not to mention the condoned torture that pervades the military prisons these days. These are all violations of the Constitution. The Patriot Act and denying us our rights to peaceably assemble are serious breaches of the Bill of Rights. George is so concerned about Iraq developing a Constitution and he ignores and shreds our own Constitution.

Being arrested is not a big deal. We were arrested for "demonstrating without a permit." We were protesting something that is much more serious than sitting on a sidewalk: the tragic and needless deaths of tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis and Americans (both in Iraq and here in America) who would be alive if it weren't for the criminals who reside in and work in the White House.

Karl Rove (besides just being a very creepy man) outted a CIA agent and was responsible for endangering many of our covert agents worldwide. Dick Cheney's old company is reaping profits beyond anyone's wildest imaginations in their no-bid contracts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and New Orleans. John Negroponte's activities in South America are very shady and murderous. Rumsfeld and Gonzales are responsible for illegal and immoral authorization, encouragement and approval of torture. Not to mention, violating Geneva Conventions, torture endangers the lives of our service men and women in Iraq. Along with the above mentioned traitors, Condi lied through her teeth in the insane run-up to the invasion. The list of crimes is extensive, abhorrent, and unbelievable. What is so unbelievable is that we were arrested for exercising our first amendment rights and these people are running free to enjoy their lives and wreak havoc on the world.

The fine for Demonstrating Without a Permit is $75.00. I am certain that I won't pay it. My court date is November 16th. Any lawyers out there want to help me challenge an unconstitutional law??

Why I Was Smiling and Hurricane by CindySheehan Tue Sep 27th, 2005 at 10:42:28 PDT

I had a huge grin on my face when I was getting arrested yesterday. I have received a lot of flak for smiling. Apparently I am not supposed to smile, but I had some really good reasons for doing so.

First of all, I was having fun. I was with a group of good-humored, cheerful, happy people. We were singing old protest songs and old Sunday school songs and clapping. I felt I had to be cheerful to set the tone. We didn't want any trouble or to do anything non-peaceful. Secondly, when I got arrested and the officers lifted me out I was afraid that America would see my underwear and that tickled me.

There is another and more important reason that I was smiling. I had not genuinely smiled since Casey was killed in Iraq. I thought my hope was buried along with my son and I was in a pit of hopeless despair. Camp Casey gave me back my hope because America came out in huge numbers to support us and they raised their voices with ours in unison to take our country back and to hold this administration accountable for the lies and mistakes that are killing tens of thousands of innocent people. There were hundreds of thousands of regular Americans who came out to protest the war and Bush's policies this past Saturday. Hundreds of faithful Americans turned out for our interfaith religious service Sunday night next to the Washington Monument. The so-called religious right doesn't have a monopoly on God. I am so pleased that the people of America are becoming active participants in Democracy and America is ready to put their money where their collective mouths are: to bring our troops home and hold BushCo accountable. It is a wonderful thing to be doing something that makes a difference and it is a wonderful and miraculous thing to have my hope back. That is why I am smiling.

Now about Hurricane Rita: I woke up on Saturday morning filled with excitement. I knew that the rally and march were going to be amazing events and I was thrilled to be a part of them. I switched on the TV and turned on CNN and for 2 hours, I watched one of their reporters in front of the same downed tree and it wasn't even raining. I knew that there was a hurricane and it was damaging. At the point of the news cycle though, I thought CNN could be covering other news. 40 soldiers have been killed this month so far in Iraq and countless Iraqis have been killed. The war is still going on and the news has been dominated by hurricanes and the terrible aftermaths. I actually think the mainstream media has been doing a good job of pointing out the dropped balls in the Gulf States. However, CNN and other mainstream news outlets ALWAYS report other news besides the illegal occupation of Iraq.

When we had hundreds of thousands of people turn out for protests all over the nation on March 19th, the 2 nd anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, the Terry Schiavo fiasco was occurring. The Schiavo tragedy was bad for one family and I was in agony for them, but I found it hypocritical that Congress would rush into a special session to save one person's lives when so many were being needlessly killed in Iraq partly because Congress abrogated their Constitutional responsibilities to declare war. I was also disappointed that that tragedy superseded the protest coverage. Wolf Blitzer called our protests: Insignificant.

Saturday was the most important event in peace history in decades. The numbers were underreported and the wonderful energy was unreported by the mainstream media. With the MSM there will always be something more important than covering the atrocity of Iraq:Michael Jackson, Scott Peterson, Terry Schiavo, The Runaway Bride, etc. It is time we hold our media accountable, too. Balanced coverage of all issues and some investigative reporting would be extremely refreshing.

I am sorry for what seemed to be an insensitive remark about the people who were affected by Rita, but that was not my intention. I am very aware that the failed policies of the Bush administration have all put us in the same boat, so to speak, and we need to take responsibility for righting the wrongs here in our country and in Iraq.

I don't think I can be challenged for my analysis of the war and for what I say because it is all the truth and comes from my heart, so I have to be attacked for smiling. I won't apologize for smiling, though, we are making a difference and that is definitely something to smile about!

 

 

 

We Don't Exist by CindySheehan Sat Sep 24th, 2005 at 21:04:25 PDT

We Don't Exist
Cindy Sheehan

Last weekend, Karl Rove said that I was a clown and the antiwar movement was "non-existent." I wonder if the hundreds of thousands of people who showed up today to protest this war and George's failed policies know that they don't exist. It is also so incredible to me that Karl thinks that he can wish us away by saying we aren't real. Well, Karl and Co., we are real, we do exist and we are not going away until this illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq is over and you are sent back to the depths of whatever slimy, dark, and loathsome place you came from. I may be a clown Karl, but you are about to be indicted. You also preside over one of the biggest three ring, malevolent circuses of all time: the Bush administration.

The rally today was overwhelming and powerful. The reports that I was arrested today were obviously false. The peace rally was mostly very peaceful. Washington, DC was filled with energetic and proud Americans who came from all over to raise their voices in unison against the criminals who run our government and their disastrous policies that our making our nation more vulnerable to all kinds of attacks (natural and "Bush" made disasters).

I led the march for peace along side such venerable activists as the Reverends Al Sharpton, Bob Edgars, and Jesse Jackson, Jr., and Julian Bond. Two of our Congresswomen with cajonesfrom California: Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey also led the march.

Many people told me thank you for coming. I want to tell America "thank you!!" At the Camp Casey reunion this evening, I was so overcome with emotion and gratitude that I wanted to hug every citizen of this country. We in the Camp Casey movement are so proud and thrilled that America showed up in such great numbers.

So much happened today! I am exhausted but very content. I am again filled with a renewed sense of hope that we will get our country back and get our troops home. I was also thrilled at the number of young people who came out today. That is another great sign that the side of good is winning.

With the Reverends, we stopped in front of the White House and said a prayer. After the prayer, I said that we are light and they are darkness. Darkness can NEVER overcome the light, ever. As long as there is one spark, the darkness has lost. We will prevail, we will be victorious. The darkness has lost because our beacons of peace and truth are shining for the entire world to see. And it is a very pretty sight. Take that Karl.

My Trip To the "Pro-Peace" Anti-War March in DC

The choices you make decide what kind of life you will have. I'm glad I made the choice to go to the march on DC.  I can't explain the high I am on and will probably feel for days. It was great! It is an experience that energized my soul. I was with THOUSANDS of people. What kind of people you ask? If you can think of them, they were there. From little babies to old people who could hardly make the walk on the march. There were all colors there...of hair. Any color you could think of. They were all there, walking together, for the same thing. To stop the killing, to end the war. To bring our troops home.  

 I caught a flight out of Ft. Lauderdale Friday about the time my kids were getting out of school. I was thankful my mother picked them. I arrived in BWI in time for rush hour traffic. I thought it would be better to fly in and out of BWI since so many would be using the other airports. I caught the B30 bus down to the Greenbelt. One of the decisions I made before I went was I would take a taxi from the Greenbelt Metro to Cheverly where my hotel was because I wanted to make the candle light vigil they were holding at Camp Casey. I wanted to save time and not ride the Metro rail down and back out again. It was only 6 miles away. Second guessed that decision when it took 45 minutes to go the 6 miles because the taxi driver got lost. I was happy when he turned off his meter after he missed the exit 3 times. He was totally turned around.

   I made it to my hotel in time to check in, open the door to my room to drop my bag and off to the hotel shuttle to the Cheverly metro station. Took the metro down to the Smithsonian station. I walked down to the ellipse where they were holding Camp Casey and the candle light vigil. My first sight when I walked up was the Washington Monument all lit up. It is a beautiful site. This was my first time to DC. I have always wanted to go but never have.  

 I found Camp Casey. The first thing I noticed were all the crosses. There were so many, not as many as the number of our fallen today. I think if you were to put the true number on the field of the ellipse it would be filled. The second thing I saw were a group of people in a circle all holding candles. They were many faces I have seen before. The same faces at every Camp Casey. The same peaceful warriors spreading their peace, their stories. When I walked up they were all telling their storyin the middle of the circle. I arrived late to hear them speak. My first thought was to find Carlos Arredondo. As I got closer to the circle I saw Carlos speaking. He said a few words but I didn't get to hear what he said. When he was done I walked up to him. He look at me like he knew who I was but knew I was out of my element and it took him a few minutes to say "CINDY" and throw his arms around me.  We both hugged and wore big smiles. He was happy to see me and I was happy to see him. He walked me over to where he had Alex's cross, boots, picture and dog tags. His pockets were filled with copies of a letter Alex had sent to him. ( HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX! ) He was passing them out. I told him I had brought the same letter to hand out to people. He was very busy holding a big picture of Alex talking to as many people as he could.  

I found where they were giving out the candles and came across the girl handing out the flowers. They had already started waking down to the Vietnam Vet Memorial. I took a few pictures and got in the long line to the walk. I walked a few steps and heard the two girls behind me talking about going to Crawford. We started talking about everything. It was a very long walk, a hot walk. I really wish I remembered their names but I don't. I am so bad with names. I will never forget a face but always forget names. They found it easy to remember my name since it is the same as Cindy Sheehan's. I get that a lot lately. People remember my name because of her's. And I can't tell you how many people told me I look like her after I would tell them my name.  

After our long walk with wonderful conversation we made it to our destination. It really was a beautiful sight to see what I would say was around 200 people walking with candles. We made it around the wall. It was so special for me to be there with the Vets. To see them find their friends names, sit by the wall, hug and some cried. Joan Baez was there with her head against the wall in her deep inner self. She didn't notice the people walking by, some taking pictures. She was with the person she wanted to spend time with at the wall. At one point the wall gets to be so high, full of names. That's when the tears flowed from my eyes. I can't take all the death from these wars. With deep breath and tears, walking with my new friends.  I ran into Carlos holding his big picture talking to more people. He saw me and we hugged again. He asked me towait for him to make the walk back. He needed to talkto the person he was staying with. I took that opportunity to call home to let them know I was in DC and at the wall. I spoke to my kids. It was nice to be standing there talking to them.   

After a while of waiting I decided to walk back down the wall to find him. He was running towards me asking if I saw a group of kids. I told him yes they were right behind me. The group of kids had walked up to the statue. Carlos ran up to the teacher and asked if he could speak to the kids. She said yes. He held the picture of Alex and told his story. He didn't tell them about the fire,( Alex needs an Angel for his father) only about Alex. Some of the kids had tears. I think he might have saved a few lives in that crowd. We made the long walk back to Camp Casey talking to Vets he has met on the bus tour along the way. When we got back to the camp Carlos introduced me to Cindy Sheehan's assistant. And again, I am so bad with names but I will never forget her face. I told her how I was friends with Cindy and we have become email friends since January. She laughed and said Cindy has a lot of email friends and she gives her a hard time about it because she couldn't know who these people are. I told her she knew me and she knows my family even though we have never met in person. We talked for a while. She's a really nice girl. I found Carlos again holding his big picture talking to more people. He introduced me to another mother who lost her son. She was sitting by her son's cross crying. I sat down next to her and gave her a hug. She said she cries all the time. I told her they were tears of love, the love she has for her son. I think like so many parents their tears will never end. Every time I saw her she was crying.  I found Carlos again and told him I was going back to my hotel. I was very tired and it was going on 11 o'clock. We talked about seeing one another the next day and said our goodbyes.  

 As I was walking back I hear "Look it's Cindy".  It was my new friends from the walk. They were sitting by the impeach bus from the bus tour.  I walked up to them to talk for a few minutes and asked them if they would like to sign my book of well wishes forCindy Sheehan. They were the first from DC to sign the book. I left them and walked forever. Ok, so I got a little lost going back to the metro entrance. I came across a couple lookingfor it also. We found it together. I was told by the hotel shuttle bus driver to go down to Landover station to get a taxi back to the hotel. They stop running the shuttle at 9pm. I don't have much experience with taxi's. I wondered why his meter already read 1.50 when I jumped in. I thought it wouldn't be more than $5 and was happy when the meter read 5.75 until he hit a button and I ended up paying $10 for a ride. But, what was I going to do at midnight alone in a place where I have no idea where I am?  Just suck it up. I didn't get much sleep that night. A lot was going on at the hotel that kept me awake.  

I woke up in the morning very hungry. I hadn't had any food since my salad before I got on the plane. I was ready for a good breakfast before I headed back on the shuttle/metro rail to the big day. I only wish there was a place to eat around the hotel. There was noting. The only thing to eat was a few things they had there in the lobby. I decided on a cup of coffee. I'm glad I did because while I was making it there was a roach crawling across the counter top, nasty! While I drank my coffee I talked to a woman who had on a Camp Casey Crawford t-shirt. She was going to the rally. We talked for a while waiting for the shuttle to take us to the metro rail. She and her friend came from Alaska to be in DC for the march. I got them to sign the book for Cindy while we rode the rail. We stayed together on the walk over to Camp Casey where I said good bye and I hoped to see them later. I came upon piles and piles of signs on poles for people to grab. I got my sign and started to the crosses. I headed right for Alex's cross to find Carlos. He was there with his big picture of Alex and his pockets filled of letters to hand out. He had a lot of energy. He was very excited to be telling the story of his beautiful son. It keeps Alex alive to tell his story. Alex was very much alive Saturday September 24. I sat next to his cross and put the pile of letter I had brought to hand out by his picture. I talked to people who were there and told the story of Alex and Carlos. I gave them letters to take with them.  

After a while of sitting there I got my book of well wishes out and headed out to get people to sign it. I walked around for 3 hourstalking to people, getting them to sign the book. I came across a older couple with what I thought to be their daughter and asked them if they would like to sign the book. The mother looked at me with this god awful look and said "no, why would I want to do that". They were standing by the pictures of the fallen. I had heard some families showed up and asked to have their children removed from the memorial. Some pictures did have tape over them. I wondered if they were one of those families.  

I walked over to the small stage where they had people speaking before the march. As I walked I ran into Ray. He was the guy doing the busses from South Florida. He told me where the Florida people were so I headed that way. I walked around and got more people to sign the book. I talked to a guy who told me about Amtrak from NY was canceled and around 1000 people couldn't get down to DC. (wonder why they canceled it..really why?). Cindy came on stage and spoke to the crowd. The stage was small. I was close but because of all the people holding signs I never got to see Cindy, I could only hear her. As I was walking out I ran into Jim from anti-war Broward. He told me it took them 24 hours to drive from Florida. I sure was glad I decided to fly up and not take the bus.   

I was so hungry, no dinner or breakfast. I had to put something in my belly before we started walking. There was nothing around for food. They did have a couple of hotdog stands in front of the museum. Hotdog and soda it was since I couldn't find anything else. I walked back to the starting point of the march and walked past the women in black. I have seen pictures of them but it was nice to see them in person. I had an older couple that stopped me and asked if they could take my picture in front of the cops on horses. They liked what my shirt said "choose life, bring our troops home". I made my way through the masses of people to the start of the march. While I wiggled my way through I came across the group from Sarasota Florida. They were easy to find all in orange shirts.  When I was talking to the group a girl and her father came up to me yelling " your the one that did the vigil. I came to your vigil". ( My Vigil in Dania Beach on Wednesday ) It really was nice to run into them. I remember them very well. Her and her father had a lot of passion when we all spoke that night. Man, I wish I could remember their names :)  I'm so bad with names.  

Waiting for a while with the masses of people we all wondered what was the hold up. It was almost noon.The plan was to start walking at 11am. Uncle Sam on a pair of stilts walked by and pointed in the direction of the front of march and yelled out "Cindy Sheehan and the start of the march is right there". I made my way over to see her since I haven't come across her yet. She was standing next to Jesse Jackson with security in front of them. I made my way over to her and yelled "HI CINDY, it's me Cindy from Hollywood. She walked over and grabbed my hand and said hello. Her assistant was standing next to her and yelled at me "we were just talking about you". It made me smile.   

For some reason they were holding up the march. People started chanting MARCH, MARCH until some of us started walking. It was great walking with ALL KINDS of people wanting the same thing, chanting "Do you know what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like". All yelling as loud as they could.  We walked down to the White House before we were stopped. I saw them bring Cindy down the sidewalk in front of us to the front of the White House where they were giving interviews. We were held up there for a while. I decided to keep walking. I found a wall to sit on and rest my feet for a few minutes. I had been on them for hours already. I was very tired. I didn't know how the old people there were doing it. I was exhausted and here they were with their canes hobbling down the street. As I sat there it started to rain. I sure was happy I brought a rain coat. It didn't rain hard or long. I sat on the wall and watched all the people go by. Then I saw Cindy with all her security round the corner. It was time to start walking again. I yelled her name out and waved HI to her. She waved back and smiled. I walked with them for a while before they decided to disburse the leaders of our walk before we hit the counter protesters.  

The counter protesters were about maybe 150-200 people. All in a single line along the street. I read their signs saying how they were the majority. Giving us all the looks we have all seen before. Saying we are not for the red white and blue. As soon as we saw them we started yelling SHAME ON YOU. When we stopped saying that I started a chant "go sign up, gosign up, go sign up" Icould hear them still saying "go sign up when I turned the last corner back to the ellipse.   

It was about 4pm and I was hungry again. I heard someone say there was food in the museum so I made my way in there to grab a sub and drink. I walked down to Camp Casey again and sat in front of Alex's cross. Most of the letters I had put out were gone and Carlos had thrown some letters around the cross for people to take. I sat and told the story of Carlos and Alex several times. Many people walked away with Alex's letter. I am so happy a piece of Alex left with so many people. He was a wonderful person. I only wish I could have known him in person.   It was time to hear some music. I walked over and sat on the field while I ate my sub and drank my soda taking in everything around me while I ate. It's hard to describe being around masses of people like that. Masses of different kind of people wanting the same thing, "We The People".  

I spent the next 4 hours walking around holding up the book asking if anyone would like to sign it. I talked to so many people and heard so many stories. The parents who's daughter was in Iraq right now. They told me she was home for 2 weeks. She went back a week ago. Her dad told me how all she wanted to do was drink a beer when she got home. I guess she drank a few because he said they woke up the next morning with her passed out on the sofa with her uniform still on. They were very nice people, I could have sat and talked to them all day. While I talked to them Cindy came on stage to speak. She can always energize people with her words. She got the loudest cheers out of anyone while I was there. And I didn't hear everyone speak. Did anyone record it from C-Span? I really need to find out if I can get a copy of it.  

I came across an older couple sitting in some chairs under the trees. They wanted to sign the book. I sat and talked to them for a while too. They were brother and sister were from different cities but met each other there to be apart of the rally. He was from California and told me how he had gone to see Cindy speak in L.A. He told me the story how there were over 200 people there. He waited around to meet Cindy. He made the remark to her "you know your speaking to the choir". She said "I'm making the choir sing to others".  He said that has stuck with him and he admired her so much for what she was doing.He was the last person to sign the book for Cindy.  

The sun was going down. It was much colder then the night before. I walked back over to Camp Casey. The first person I saw was Carlos giving an interview to the press. He tried to get me a bus tour shirt but he was told they didn't have any.  I asked him if I could give him the book to give to Cindy. He took it from my hands and said "sure".  I walked around a little longer.It was almost 8pm and there still was masses of people everywhere you went. I decided I didn't want to pay for another taxi so I started back to the metro to catch the last shuttle to the hotel. Though I was exhausted I wished I could have stayed with the masses of people. I could have stayed there all night if I had a better way to get back to the hotel.   

I awoke at 6am. I think I was so tired I couldn't go back to sleep so I turned on the news. I heard how they had shut down the yellow metro rail for repairs. They only shut it down for the weekend. They said thousands of people had trouble getting out of the city. Humm, Amtrack and Metro Rail being shut down. Makes you think they tried real hard to keep people away. I made the 8 am shuttle to the metro rail but I missed the B30 bus to BWI. I didn't want to miss my plane so I got another taxi. It was $43 to get me there. So, I've spent a lot of money on ground transportation in the past couple of days. This taxi driver was a joy. His car was clean, we talked politics and he offered me a banana. He must have known I needed food.  

My family picked me up at the airport. The first thing my daughter said to me was "knock, knock" I said "who's there" she said "Anita".. Anita who?  She threw her arms around me and said I need a hug. It's great to be her mom.  

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Bring Them Home Now Tour : From the Boston tour stop

 

From the Boston tour stop

September 23rd, 2005

My step-son Alexander was killed in Najaf, Iraq on 5/25/04. It was my husband Carlos' birthday. When he received the news, he wanted the Marines toleave.
He, in his anguish, burned the Marine's van. Our whole family supported Alex' efforts. I include myself in this despite being a pacifist and devout Catholic.
Parents, even step-parents, support their kids out of love. Everyone has the right to learn from their mistakes and grow as individuals.

Sadly, it was not so much Alex' choice to be Marine that led to his demise, but the lack of appropriate gear provided by the USA that killed him. He was shot
in the temple by a sniper. I am from Boston, MA. Last year, we watched the Red Sox win and the police put on their riot gear to control the crowds. Such gear
consists of face masks, helmets that cover the whole skull and ballistic neck coverage.

The US public have heard about how the military has not provided vehicles with armored protection for the troops. Secretary Rumsfeld's response about "going to war with the army we have and not the army we want" made me very upset. The technology exists in our country. Indeed, US citizens designed the technology. Yet, it is used to protect dignitaries (often on the citizen's tab) and not for
the US troops.

Be well, peace and patience...
See you in Washington...
Mélida Arredondo

What Hillary Told Cindy

What Hillary Told Cindy
Sheehan and company get face time with senators Clinton, Reid, Lieberman. McCain’s next.
by Sarah Ferguson


Cindy Sheehan and the other members of the Bring Them Home Now tour hit the halls of Congress on Thursday, knocking on the doors of more than a dozen legislators to demand their position on the war—including Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, and Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

The activists were bringing Camp Casey, named for the 24-year-old son Sheehan lost in Iraq, to Capitol Hill. The first Camp Casey was set up this summer outside President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.

On Thursday, Sheehan sat down with Clinton and Reid, two of the highest-profile Democrats, to pose the same question she has posed to President Bush: “What noble cause are our loved ones fighting and dying for?"

“I asked them, ‘Are you going to be willing to lead us out of Iraq? Because if you do, the rest of the nation will follow you,’ ” Sheehan said.

Neither Clinton or Reid, who both voted for the war, were willing to reverse tracks and push for a U.S. withdrawal now. Nevertheless, Sheehan reported feeling “fabulous coming out of the meeting.”

“I know their offices are going to be working with us; all we have to do is keep up the pressure on them,” Sheehan said, adding, “Now it’s up to the people of New York to put pressure on Clinton.”

New Yorkers who oppose the war might not feel so encouraged, given the hawkish stance our junior senator has taken thus far.

Asked afterward about the meeting, Clinton noted that she had met earlier in the day with about 20 moms from American Gold Star Mothers, the pro-military group that President Bush has glommed onto in an effort to deflect the criticism by Sheehan and other military families. Bush has proclaimed this Sunday National Gold Star Mothers' Day to honor America’s fallen heroes—just a day after Sheehan and other military families are to speak out at Saturday’s anti-war demonstration.

Clinton noted that those moms have voiced “different positions” on the war from the one held by Sheehan’s group, Gold Star Families for Peace.

“It’s just a painful experience because of their loss,” Clinton said of her meeting with Sheehan, who was accompanied by her sister Dede and by Lynn Bradach, whose 21-year-old son, Corporal Travis Bradach-Nall, was killed clearing a minefield outside Karbala two years ago.

But Clinton added: “My bottom line is that I don’t want their sons to die in vain.”

Asked when she thought those soldiers’ mission might be complete, Clinton responded: “I don’t believe it’s smart to set a date for withdrawal. I don’t think you should ever telegraph your intentions to the enemy so they can await you.”

“I’ve been very critical of the president’s policies and also supportive of the Iraqis who are trying to move forward and form a new government,” Clinton told the Voice.

“I think it is a much more complicated situation,” she continued. “I don’t think it’s the right time to withdraw, but we also have to stand up and send a message that we’re not going to be there indefinitely. We need to tell the Sunnis that they have to do their job and that we won’t be there forever. Because if you don’t, then what incentive is there for them to ever participate in the political process?”

Clinton cited two key upcoming moments: October 15, when the Iraqis are slated to vote on their new constitution, and December 15, when Iraqis are expected to elect a new government.

Responding to a question of whether Sheehan and the anti-war crowd are premature in demanding an immediate withdrawal of troops now, the presidential hopeful was nothing if not diplomatic.

“No, I think they’re playing a very important role,” Clinton said. “This is a democracy, thank God, and people should be speaking out. It helps keep the debate flowing and creates the conditions for better decision-making, which makes for better policies, so it’s very important.

“Nobody has a greater right to make that criticism,” Clinton said of Sheehan and the other military families who feel betrayed by the war. “But I happen to think that fighting for freedom is a noble cause. There are lots of things wrong with how Bush did it. I believe we should have gone through with the inspection process and acted through the UN. But I believe that standing up against someone as dangerous as Saddam was a good goal.”

Clinton was noncommittal when asked whether she still supports sending more troops to Iraq. “We’ll see,” she said, then disappeared into the Russell Senate office building.

At least Clinton was willing to hear Sheehan and the other military family members’ plea. Republican representative Bill Thomas of Bakersfield, California, wouldn’t let them in the door, while Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s staff told the group they would have to fill out a written form if they wanted a meeting. When told they had already called and e-mailed several times, Frist’s chief of staff relented and spent about 15 minutes with the group, which included Iraq war veterans and members of Military Families Speak Out.

“She didn’t take any notes, but hopefully the emotions we evoked in that meeting will say more than any notes would,” said Al Zappala of Philadelphia, whose son, Sgt. Sherwood Baker, was killed in Baghdad last year.

Sheehan and the other members of the Bring Them Home Now tour say they won’t give up until they get every member of Congress to take a stance on U.S. withdrawal.

They’ve launched a new campaign, Meet With the Mothers, to mobilize other military family members to go to every member of Congress and ask them what noble cause their loved ones are fighting and dying for. Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, has agreed to meet with Sheehan on Tuesday, after refusing earlier requests.

“If the politicians don’t answer, there will be constituent Camp Caseys on their doorstep, just like in Crawford,” vows Jonathan Read, the former chair of Park Plaza Hotels and Resorts, who helped launch the campaign after camping out in Crawford with Sheehan for three weeks.

Earlier in the day, Sheehan and several other military moms held a press conference to announce a $1 million campaign of TV commercials and print ads.

The hard-hitting TV <A href="hotlink:" www.gsfp.org http:>ad was funded by donations to Gold Star Families for Peace. It features four women challenging the president for taking the country to war, including Melanie House, a former supporter of invading Iraq, whose husband, Petty Offficer John House, was killed when his helicopter was shot down earlier this year.

“How many more soldiers have to die for your mistake? My husband never got to hold his baby. What will I tell our son his father died for?” House asks in the commercial, which is set to run nationally on the Fox News Network and on CNN in Washington, D.C., over the next 12 days. The print ads were paid for by Win Without War. They feature the banner headlines, “They lied. They died,” and juxtapose the faces of Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice with a full-page list in tiny fine print of the more than 1,900 American soldiers killed in Iraq. The ads are running in 14 papers, including USA Today. A two-page spread appeared in Thursday’s Washington Post

 

Buttonholing Joe Lieberman

On Thursday, the anti-war activists with Bring Them Home Now also succeeded in ambushing Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman, who was downstairs in the Senate office building for a photo shoot.

“This is my nephew, and we really need to know from you what he died for,” announced Beatriz Saldivar of Fort Worth, Texas, holding up an enlarged picture of Dennis Torres, who was killed in February when his unarmored Humvee was blown up outside of Baghdad. In her other hand, she held a photo of his pregnant fiancée weeping over the coffin.

“My heart goes out to you and everyone who’s lost somebody in the war,” said the former presidential hopeful, doing his best to smile kindly.

Noting that he had traveled to Iraq three times, Lieberman said: “I have supported this war and I still do. I’m not a big fan of Bush’s foreign policy and believe we could have done much more to win the support of other countries before we went in. But I do think the world is safer without Saddam Hussein.”

Lieberman pointed out that in 1988, he and Senator John McCain called for the overthrow of Saddam after Iraqi troops massacred more than 100,000 Kurds and attacked Iran with chemical weapons,

“But the evidence? The whole reason we went over there?” demanded Hart Viges, a 29-year old Army specialist who filed for conscientious objector status after serving a year in Iraq. “We never found any weapons of mass destruction. The whole reason we went was a lie.”

Lieberman said he thought the idea that Saddam possessed WMD’s had been “overplayed” by the Bush administration and wasn’t the only reason for invading in any case. Sounding very much like Bush, who defended the war again Thursday, Lieberman said: “If it doesn’t end well, that country will go into a civil war and the whole Middle East will be destabilized. And the terrorists who are there now … they’ll claim it as a big victory and then they’ll go on to the next country.”

“But you know they’re only there because we’re there,” Viges pressed, speaking of the foreign insurgents who have flocked to Iraq since the U.S. invaded.

“I believe these people have given their lives in a cause that will make your lives and your children’s lives safer,” Lieberman insisted.

Saldivar wasn’t having it. “My nephew will never see his daughter, who was born just 72 hours ago.”

Noting that the next time Lieberman travels to Iraq, his Humvee will likely be fully armored, she demanded: “What makes your life—or Donald Rumsfeld’s life—more valuable?”

To which the senator could only respond: “I’m glad you’re doing it, and I respectfully disagree.”

********************************************************

 

Letter Delivered to the White House on September 21st, 2005

Dear President Bush,

We are veterans, families of active-duty military service people, and parents of soldiers who died as a result of the war in Iraq. We have been traveling the country from your vacation ranch in Crawford, TX, speaking to the American people about the true cost of your war based on lies. We have brought this nation a precious gift -- the truth. It is a truth that you have tried so hard to hide, as you banned the media from photographing flag-draped coffins as they come in to Dover Air Force Base. We brought the anguish of military families whose loved ones are and will be in harm’s way for no good reason. We brought the determination and the pain of Iraq Veterans, who all took a vow to defend the Constitution of this country, but were betrayed by being sent off the fight an unjustifiable war. And we brought the voice of veterans from the Vietnam War who know so well about physical and psychological damage from a war that should never have happened.

In 51 cities, 28 states and over 200 venues, we carried the message: Bring Our Troops Home Now, Take Care of Them of When They Get Home and Never Again Send Them Off to a War Based on Lies.

President Bush, we are outraged by the arrogance you displayed on May 1, 2003 when you declared “Mission Accomplished” while the killing and dying continued; when you said on July 2, 2003, “Bring ‘Em On” in response to a question about the armed Iraqi resistance; and when you refused to meet with the families of the fallen and with military families in August of this year in Crawford, Texas. We have come across this country, to Washington, D.C. to once again ask you to meet with us.

We still have questions for you:

What is the “noble cause” for which you sent our country to war?
How many more lives are you willing to sacrifice?
What are you going to do to end the war?

As the President, we expect you to listen to the voices of those who know the real cost of this war. We expect you to listen to the voices of those who truly support the troops. We expect you to answer our questions about this war. We expect you to hear us as we say, bring them home now.

We will not cease until all of our loved ones are brought home from a war they should never have been sent off to fight, until they get the care they need, and until we are sure that they are never again sent off to a war based on lies.

Sincerely
Gold Star Families for Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out, and Veterans For Peace

 

Rita's on the way..I hope she doesn't distroy like Katrina

Stories from the Vets at Camp Casey...helping when help is needed.    

 

From the Disaster Zone

Jason writes:

Here are a few stories from the last few days...

The city of New Orleans is still in dire need. Although some stores and businesses have reopened, the poor and forgotten people of the city are still in a serious state.

I met a woman who hasn't spoken to her 72 year old mother, her 2 daughters, and her son. No one has been in contact with her and it’s been over 20 days since Katrina. This brave woman told me that she was a Bush voter but that she was very upset with this now. She has not had any help or aid from any government programs yet. While Bush visits the virtually unaffected French Quarter the people that are really in need go un-noticed.

The Veterans for Peace who are down here are all angels. Everyday we go to the places that are being ignored and we bring food and goods to the people who really need it. We have aided in setting up kitchens & clinics in the 9th Ward and Algiers.

The Smell of Nola is intolerable at some points. Most of the garbage has not been picked up yet and the entire city stinks. Sometimes it turns my stomach. You'll be walking down the street and the stench is just everywhere. I don't understand how the government is letting people live in total filth and doing so little to clean it up or help.

I meet so many amazing people. It never ceases to amaze me how many stories each hurricane survivor has. This has been such a natural and man-made disaster that every person in that city has something important to add to the dialogue of this tragedy. Here are a few of the most powerful...

I met an woman who is eight and a half months pregnant. She has had no help from FEMA or the Red Cross. She gave me a tour of her house which has mold all over it. A perfect environment for a newborn.

I met a son who saved his mom from the Superdome. He drove to get her after she was in there for 4 days. He went around check points and waded through feet of water to get to her. He told me that once he entered the garbage dump that was the superdome he just yelled his mother's name for half an hour until he found her. He then carried her out through the flood waters and got her to dry land.

I met a woman with 10 children in Algiers the other day. She had kids running around everywhere, I couldn't believe my eyes. She was the first person I've spoken to in 12 days of being down here who actually had her 2K FEMA Check. I couldn't believe it! Someone actually got through the endless line of government red tape and got the promised money. I was so happy to hear all of this. But then she told me that because there are no banks open and because she doesn't have a car, she can't cash the check. Her FEMA check is totally useless to her! How hard is it to anticipate this? Didn't FEMA consider for one second that handing the poor a check in the middle of a disaster zone would be useless?

I met a mother whose son went back to Iraq yesterday. He coincidentally had been home during Katrina and was able to help out and make sure that his family was safe. This woman has also had no help from any government organization. While she spoke I could hear her phone on constant re-dial, desperately trying to get a hold of someone who might help. She told me a story about how late one night she was woken by very loud banging at the back door. She yelled out to let whoever was banging know that someone was in the house. Her son, who was home from Iraq at the time, told her to wait in her room and he would go check it out. Whoever had been banging on the door was gone by then but they left big boot prints on the back of the door. This woman's son told her that the boot print on the door was same as the boot print on the bottom of his military issued boots! I guess we'll never know who was really banging on the door but if the boot fits you...

Lastly, I wanted to let everyone know that I got into New Orleans no problem today. I was very surprised that it was as easy as it was. The way we drive in everyday is over the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway. Normally there are military personnel at a check point before you are allowed to cross over the lake and into NOLA. Today there was NO ONE there! I found it very weird for a city whose mayor just called off its re-entry to not even have guards at the main check point. I'm not complaining because it made our lives a lot easier today but it was very strange.

Well, Rita is on her way and everyone is sitting on pins and needles. The city of New Orleans would not be able to handle this hurricane. They saythree inches of rain and the city’s in trouble. I pray that won’t happen.

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Daymon J. Hartley's Camp Casey-Covington Photos

Around camp and in Jefferson Parish.

 

 

With Rita on the Way

Eric writes

It is raining. We are in a 26 foot truck full of supplies headed toward Mobile, Alabama. Traffic is at a near standstill. Gas lines were so long in town this morning that people were lined up at the two pumps at our remote campground. Some of the group is out scouting Mobile. Others are on their way to seek shelter in Tylertown, MS. Rita may spare the area, but with little or nothing between us and the elements, we decided to play it safe.

More to come...