Great Cindy Sheehan Article in the Chronicle

Exactly how I feel about this issue as well....

Cindy Sheehan Article in the Chronicle

Buddhism and Cindy Sheehan

Buddhism is a complex religion. Part philosophy, part ritual, Buddhism is poorly understood by many. One of its many tenets involve understanding that life in moderation is part of the road to spiritual realization. Moderation allows one a taste of want, without allowing that want to consume oneself in ignorance and closed mindedness.

I read in appalling fashion the whole Cindy Sheehan incident, wherein she came to the US Capitol during President Bush's (well, his speech writer's speech anyways) State of the Union. She came with a t-shirt saying something like - 2245 lives, how many more? She was promptly arrested and escorted out of the US Capitol gallery. In the ensuing debate, liberal democrats (way liberal I should say) have lambasted the "Bush Gestapo" for their apparently Nazi-like actions. Funny. The Capitol police work for Congress. Not the President.

I'm no Republican. I consider myself a democrat. In the 3 times I've found myself lucky enough to vote - I've always voted for the Democrat for President. I'm socially liberal, fiscally moderate and fairly middle ground in the ways of the world.

But I was appalled by Cindy Sheehan. It at once illustrated her lack of manners, her paucity of a political brain, and her hypocrisy.

What she did was not a statement of her freedom of speech. It was a childlike scream for attention blindingly self gratuitous without any attempt for political benefit. The State of the Union is a tradition that defines the established running of our government. Part of the reason successful civilization has gotten to where it has, is because it has established for itself a set of rules, regulations, etiquette that defines it and elevates it above simple territorial battles for power. Decorum and operating procedure has been proven and established as a beneficial way to be productive, to solve problems, and to increase the acceptance of ones ideas. Why don't we interview at every job with a tshirt that says, "I like a different type of Bush" (yes I've seen that on the street)? Because we know that doing so is not only a hazard to our ability to retain employment - its simply showing a lack of manners for that situation. What Sheehan did was disrespect the institution of government. She regressed to her childhood, where screaming out and being obnoxious was okay. She distinctly crossed the lines of decorum - hiding behind the excuse of Freedom of Speech (yes, its used far too much as an excuse - having manners and being a kind person should be a given, and Freedom of Speech - that's a right two different things completely). I cannot condone that behavior. Furthermore, another Republican was also escorted out for wearing a Tshirt that said something like "Support our troops" or something like that. How come Sheehan didn't say anything about that?

Sheehan's outburst also illustrates the fundamental problem with the radical left. They have no political brain. Has her actions changed the opinions of the pro-war group? Did her supposed crusade change the mind of President Bush or Vice President Cheaney? More likely, it simply offended them as well as any pro-war politician - further distancing them from any sort of thoughts of peace in Iraq. The radical left is no different than the radical right. They behave as stubborn, unrelenting kids who don't learn or share or compromise. Inherently selfish - they hide behind the concept of revolution to justify their existence. They represent 0.000004% of the American political mindset. Most Americans are moderates and actually live in the gray area - understanding that many political issues don't have a black or white answer. The radicals do not. Their blind support of the black or white positions reveal them to be incredibly unsophisticated in the politic of America. What Sheehan did provided a disservice to me as a Democrat. America is becoming kindler and gentler, and most of America does not appreciate blind confrontation - seeing it as a spectacle first, a disrupting demonstration next, and a political action last. That is not the way to convince America that your position is the best. People always wonder why the backlash against republicans for all they do wrong is not as high as the backlash against liberals? You don't see the conservative right making a big fuss and demonstrating on the lawns, breaking decorum, or making poorly worded speeches (yes, Sheehan's speeches are horrible - can't the liberals find a well spoken person to lead them?). You see them pouring money into campaigns, devoting their energies to political lobbying, and finding ways to shore up their red state support. That is how you make a change in America - by doing it in a productive and non-confrontational manner.

Finally, I can barely stomach Sheehan's hypocrisy. I cannot in my good conscience give any value to a woman who claims Free Speech rights but then goes and meets and hugs Hugo Chavez. This president of Venezuela jails any dissidents to his political ideals. He has had numerous human rights violations and is believed to be pushing towards a dictatorship, with socialism as his goal. He also is a military man at heart. He surely isn't walking the road to freedom and peace. Yet there was Sheehan - hugging the guy. Tell me again - how does this mesh with her freedom of speech claims and her need for peace? I wonder how many people Hugo has killed just to climb the political ladder? How many Venezuelan mothers have lost their sons to him? And why isn't Sheehan hugging them?

I could go on and on. I find it horrible that as democrats, we shoot ourselves in the foot like this. We haven't learned from Bush's re-election that America will rebuff overt liberalism. They will embrace a more compromising stance - and that's why Bill Clinton did so well. We've succeeded at giving the right freebies without turnign their mistakes into political clout. As democrats, we need to not only denounce the wrong road that Republicans are guiding us to, but we need to denounce senseless acts of radical liberalism as well. We need to be more productive in this - or we'll be seeing another 8 years of Republican rule. And I can't stomach that.