On Sheehan

"The silence of the anti-war movement has been deafening. There hasn't been a national protest since the war started (unless you count the RNC protests as anti-war, which I don't.) That should change on 9/24, though it appears UFPJ and ANSWER are doing their sectarian thing and organizing separate marches. Again. But the demobilization of the anti-war movement is a tragedy. "Right now it's completely awesome that Cindy Sheehan is doing what she's doing. And it's completely terrible that at a time when 60 percent of people in this country oppose the war that it almost seems like Sheehan is standing alone. And it's completely terrible that the right-wing is going into full caricature mode on both Sheehan and the other military families and anti-war folks that have now joined the protest." - - - Zagg at RandomWalks "The purity of Sheehan's protest has lately been diluted by her association with the far Left, the extravagance of her language and the arrival of political operatives to manipulate and manage her. But in a slow news month, Cindy Sheehan has helped turn the focus of national debate back to the war, at a moment of special vulnerability for the president. "According to Newsweek, support for Bush's handling of the war has fallen for the first time below 40 percent – to 34 percent, with 61 percent now disapproving of his war leadership. Compare these numbers to the 68 percent support Nixon commanded on Vietnam after that Nov. 3 address, and the gravity of Bush's condition becomes evident. "Put bluntly, the bottom is falling out of support for the commander in chief. What is remarkable is that no Democrat has stepped forward, as Gene McCarthy did, to lead an anti-war crusade and call for a date certain for withdrawal of U.S. troops. Cindy Sheehan is filling that vacuum." - - - Pat Buchanan (yes, THAT Pat Buchanan) "To make crystals, a single pure crystal is entered into a saturated solution. This is called the seed crystal. Other crystals then begin to form around the seed crystal, building themselves into the crystal lattice structure. Cindy is the seed crystal of the renewed antiwar movement. We are crystallizing about her, it is our job to build the lattice, the enduring structure that facilitates continued growth and emerges from the solution. "Let the lattice-building begin, we need to form organized, active grassroots antiwar structures everywhere we are. Don’t be afraid if your little town or conservative suburb has few against the war--now. Look at what one person, our seed crystal, has accomplished. We don’t need to be national heroes. But even a few voices, if everywhere, will grow together into a rising national chorus. "This is how we build the lattice, with a thousand small crystals all over the country, bringing the message to each and every community in America, and uniting for the big pushes such as supporting Cindy and the big marches. Bushco has made it clear that they intend to continue playing the same lying imperialist game that got us into this mess. The Democrats are still fearful, still under the sway of the Peter Beinarts telling them they must out-hawk the Republicans. But if the people lead, the leaders will follow. Cindy has opened the door, in her way not unlike the stand of Rosa Parks so long ago. Come together all you crystals, let us be the rock on which the warship of the regime is broken. Shine on, you crazy diamonds, shine on." - - - Dancing Larry