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Mother’s Protest of Iraq War Puts the Issue Back in the Media

Cindy Sheehan, activist and founder of the antiwar organization Gold Star Families for Peace, along with a growing crowd of supporters, has held a vigil outside President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas for over a week. Sheehan has vowed to continue the protest until President Bush agrees to meet with her to talk about her opposition to the US-led war in Iraq or until his vacation ends on August 31. She founded Gold Star Families for Peace and first began her campaign against the war over a year ago after her son was killed while serving in Baghdad, according to the Washington Post.

Nearly 300 activists have joined Sheehan at the make-shift campsite to protest the war, reports the Los Angeles Times, including organizers from the women’s antiwar organization CodePink, with more expected to arrive. Sheehan has also worked with political consultants to develop a television ad against the war which began airing Saturday, reports the Washington Post.

Sheehan’s effort has generated national and international press for the antiwar movement at a time when the majority of Americans now say they are against the war. A recent CNN/Gallup/USA Today poll found that 55 percent of Americans believe sending troops to Iraq was a mistake, according to the Christian Science Monitor. Sheehan told the Monitor that even if President Bush does not agree to meet with her, the vigil has made a difference. “I’ve accomplished a lot by putting this war back on the front page where it should be.”

Sources:

The Christian Science Monitor 8/15/05; The Washington Post 8/13/05; 8/15/05; The Los Angeles Times 8/13/05

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