Cindy Sheehan: The Struggle Continues

Camp Casey is moving!

The Camp Casey Peace Movement, and the peace movement in general, will be eternally grateful to the Mattlage family for allowing us to use their land near George's Crawford, Texas, ranch. They were extremely generous and courageous in allowing us to use their property when we were bursting at the seams at Camp Casey I this past August and we were also being threatened by shotgun blasts and drunken drivers plowing through our memorial. We also are grateful for being allowed to use the site for our two subsequent Camp Caseys, at Thanksgiving and at Easter, especially since the McClennan County Supervisors passed the ordinances suppressing our 1st Amendment rights to camp at Camp Casey I. We owe the Mattlage family a debt of gratitude that I don't know if we will ever be able to repay! I know that their comfort, as well as ours, will be when our troops come home from the illegal and immoral occupation of Iraq.

However, we have now grown out of Camp Casey II and we needed to move on to bigger property. During Camp Casey Easter, we housed a few hundred people that the site could barely contain. With our commitment to being in Crawford every time that George goes on vacation (even though he seems to be skipping out on us a lot lately) we decided to buy property in Crawford to use until George's resignation or impeachment - which we all hope is soon, for the sake of the world.

Our new property is in town and literally right around the corner from the Peace House. It is a beautiful, wooded five acres of land that will be ideal for our expanding peace population and for hosting our growing family. We are looking forward to being good neighbors in Crawford whenever we are there and we are looking forward to having good neighbors, also.

I think the people of Crawford are beginning to understand that we come in peace and love and that we just have an issue with just one resident: George Bush. Even though we don't agree politically with many of our neighbors, we hope to enjoy a cordial relationship with everyone.

I never understood how George Bush could pick such a place as Crawford to have his home. When I first arrived and set up camp there last August 6th, I had even bigger misgivings ... but now after spending an entire year there in every season, I totally understand. I even get upset now when people put Crawford down in any way - but these are people who have never been there.

Crawford is a beautiful place, and Camp Casey has made it even lovelier. I feel so at home there. When I am able to return, I feel a renewal and resurgence of energy and hope. The sunrises and sunsets and star-lit nights are breathtaking, and there is nothing like a cool (if rare) Crawford evening breeze to dry off the sweat and sweeten the soul.

Dwight David Eisenhower said that when the people of the world finally want peace, the governments had better get out of their way. Well, we want peace, BushCo, so get out of our way. Come to Camp Casey and show George and the other governments of the world that you want peace and when you say you want peace, you mean it! It is so imperative today when violence is being born out of violence and the world is crumbling around us. With almost 2600 of our brave soldiers tragically dead for George's lies and greed and countless numbers of Iraqis dead because they had the audacity to live on top of Exxon's oil, how can we not gather together in peace and commitment to ending this travesty in Iraq and call for those in the Bush Regime who are truly responsible to be punished.

We have been advertising that Camp Casey was going to begin on the 16th of August, so George is now going to his ranch in Crawford until the 14th. Since he didn't visit his ranch at Easter for the first time since he has been president, we are beginning to believe that he is frightened of us. It can't be because we are a physical threat to him: We have proven to be peaceful and non-violent - so it must be that he is afraid of the truth and too cowardly to, again, face grieving families and thousands of others who adamantly oppose his murderous policies. Consequently, we will begin Camp Casey on August 12th so we can at least share part of the summer with Georgie. We will still run Camp Casey until September 2nd. There is so much to do.

Here's to Crawford. Here's to Camp Casey - but most of all, here's to peace and accountability.

Donate to the operation of Camp Casey this summer. Thanks. All donations are tax-deductible.

Camp Casey plans on running this year at its new site from August 13th to September 2nd. For more information, such as what to bring, etc., please go to the Gold Star Families for Peace web site. Cindy Sheehan is a co-founder of Gold Star Families for Peace and the mother of Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq.

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