California Conservative

AFP reports: “Larry Mattlage, who lives next to the Bush ranch where the president is spending a five week vacation, complained about the 200 protestors, media and government security officials occupying the road outside his own residence after firing a rifle into the air several times.”

“Five weeks of this is too much. We live here, this is our community,” Mattlage said in footage show by CNN television, while insisting the gunshots were just him “getting ready for dove season.”

“I shot at a bird, and missed it a while ago,” he said.

Asked if the gunshots had another message, Mattlage told reporters: “Figure it out for yourself.”

Don’t mess with Texas.

AP reports from another perspective, sympathizing with the movement and portraying Mattlage as a hostile “gun-toting neighbor.” The message is the protesters aren’t budging. They don’t care about disturbing the peace. For them, it’s a measure of success.

“We can’t give up, no matter hard it gets,” said Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif. She started the protest Aug. 6 in memory of her 24-year-old son Casey, an Army specialist killed in Iraq last year.

It’s become clear to most that Cindy Sheehan, who launched this demonstration outside President Bush’s ranch, is “making hay” for the media attention — not only to her son’s unfortunate death — but primarily to the anti-war cause itself and the leftist organizations that she embraces and are financially supporting her activities.

As it relates, we found photos of another public demonstration in Texas that was organized due to the tragic death of a young soldier. But it was done differently.

It’s the story of 23-year-old Spc. James M. Kiehl, killed in action after his convoy was ambushed in Iraq on March 23, 2003. He was assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company, Fort Bliss, Texas. (See the photos, they are beautiful)

There are those that mourn the loss of loved ones, but rightfully don’t blame the President. They understand the sacrifices of military service. They see the purpose of our actions in the Middle East and demonstrate with patriotism to honor the fallen.

By waving the U.S. flag, Americans aren’t practicing blind faith as critics like to dismiss. Rather, they are showing a symbol of national unity and an appreciation for the liberty that we enjoy (and some take for granted), the freedoms that we are fighting to bring to the people of Iraq and elsewhere.

Mrs. Sheehan does not represent “every grieving mother in America” as the Bush-hating liberals on her political bandwagon would have you believe. She represents an agenda of attacking the administration. Nothing more.

As Arthur Chrenkoff observes:

Kos and the rest of the left think that exploiting Cindy Sheehan’s exploitation of her loss is the best new secret weapon in the war against George Bush. But both sides can play the “grieving parents” game -– except that it’s not a game, and it shouldn’t be played. The right has not used people like Lynn Kelly, Linda Ryan, or hundreds of others, to make their case in our current war. It would be decent if the left stopped using Cindy Sheehan to make theirs.

Wishful thinking.

UPDATE:
“You tell me the truth. You tell me that my son died for oil. You tell me that my son died to make your friends rich. You tell me my son died to spread the cancer of Pax Americana, imperialism in the Middle East. You tell me that, you don’t tell me my son died for freedom and democracy.”
—Cindy Sheehan Address Veterans For Peace Convention, August 8, 2005

RELATED:
Michelle Malkin agrees with Chrenkoff

HeatXSink examines CNN’s reporting

California Activist: Cindy Sheehan

This entry was posted on Monday, August 15th, 2005 at 6:47 am and is filed under Activism, Elections, Foreign Policy, Iraq, Liberals, Military, Patriotism, W. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.