This week ABC News anchorman Charles Gibson, who extensively covered anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan’s demonstrations against George W. Bush in 2005, said “Enough already” when it comes to Sheehan’s plans to protest next week at Martha’s Vineyard, where President Barack Obama will be vacationing.
Now Sheehan has responded. “I am sure that he just wants me to go away like most of the rest of the anti-war movement has done under the Obama presidency,” Sheehan writes at her website.
One of the things I hear quite often from people from all over the political spectrum is: “Why don’t you just go away, you’ve had your 15 minutes of fame.”
Yes, that’s exactly what I thought as soon as I heard that my son was killed in the US’s illegal and immoral war in Iraq: “this is a perfect opportunity to get my 15 minutes of fame.” Actually, after I slowly recovered from the shock and horror, the pain always remains, I thought that I had to do everything I can to end this nightmare so other mothers/families wouldn’t have to go through what I was going through and what I am going through.
I certainly am not the anchor of a major network news show, but last time I checked, people are still dying at a heartrending clip in Iraq-Af-Pak.
If my goal was “15 minutes of fame,” I could have gone quietly away a long time ago. I started because I wanted the wars to end, and I will figure I can go away when the wars end…but when is that going to be? In my lifetime, probably not.
I am cutting my writing-staycation short to head to Martha’s Vineyard because I think the new titular head of the empire needs to know that his policies are devastating people as much as the same policies did when Bush was president.
Given Sheehan’s determination, the question remains: With roughly 130,000 American soldiers still in Iraq, with 68,000 in Afghanistan by the end of this year, will major news outlets cover her protest at Martha’s Vineyard? Gibson’s remarks suggests he has no interest, but what of the rest?
