Friday night, Oct. 2, 2009
In what should have been a packed house, Cindy Sheehan spoke to less than 15 people at the Overland Community Center Friday night. The St. Louis anti-war movement, including IOW, Peace Economy Project, UFPJ, VFP, AFSC and others, refused to mobilize it's members to welcome this woman. Cindy has worked tirelessly for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, the Persian Gulf, Somalia and elsewhere.
Cindy gave an excellent talk and was inspiring as well as energizing. In the past, these same local “anti-war” groups couldn't get enough of Cindy.Why now the lack of welcome from the St. Louis Peace Movement? Why did these same organizations which hosted an all-day seminar grading President Obama's first 100 days, giving him passing grades, choose not to recognize our sister, Gold Star Mother and outspoken peace activist? They were most certainly notified in advance, and there weren't any conflicting events.The answer? Cindy Sheehan is not a member of the Democratic Party. This is the same party that gave us the wars in Korea, Vietnam, eight dead ly years of sanctions against the people of Iraq, war in the Balkans, the escalation of death/destruction in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and possibly Iran and Somalia. Remember it was a Democrat who authorized the only use in history, of atomic weapons.
Instead, Cindy ran for the U.S. Senate CA. on the Peace and Freedom Party's ticket. Friday night, Cindy was asked what person she admired most. Cindy's answer was, "Cynthia McKinney". As we all know, Ms. McKinney, a former Congresswoman from Grorgia, was driven out of office by pro-war Democrats, the DNC and the AIPAC lobby. After Hurricane Katrina displaced thousands of working class people in New Orleans, Cynthia McKinney unhesitatingly went to help. When the Free Gaza Movement sent cargo ships to Palestine to break the genocidal blockade of Gaza by Israel, Cynthia McKinney answered the call!But we also know that Cynthia McKinney ran for President on the Green Party ticket. She is no longer a member of the Democratic Party---having learned the lesson first-hand that standing up for principles cannot and will not be tolerated by corporate and imperial interests. The history of the Democratic Party is a history of betrayal and heartbreak for the working class, people of color, and those who sincerely want to implement a “progressive agenda” in America.
Anti-War acti vists need to support each other despite political differences.But the political differences themselves answer the questions posed at the beginning of this letter. Cindy Sheehan supported Ms. McKinney for President rather than Barack Obama. Mr. Obama's pro war stance made it impossible for Cindy to give him any support. As the war drums grow louder from the Pentagon and the White House, the peace movement appears to be stagnant. Rather than depending on the majority of American people opposed to the ongoing wars, the Peace Movement appealed to elected officials (Democratic Party). The Guantanamo Death and Torture Camp remains open as do all of the secret prisons used around the world in the West's war on Islam (war on terror). The attack on civil liberties continuation of the USA PATRIOT ACT, warrant-less surveillance, indefinite detentions, the failure to recognize the World Court... nothing has changed.
Timothy Kaminski
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