Houston Democrats

A black man said, "How can we take democracy to Iraq when we don't have it here." Thunderous applause here, too.

Throughout the film Joan Baez sang the wonderful song from the '60's "Where have all the Young Men Gone."

"I don't have a big political machine. I just have a broken heart." "Is it too much to ask GW to tell the truth about why we went to Iraq?"

Apparently he doesn't allow Iraqui bodies to be counted or publicly mentioned. It was a short but powerful film.

One group thanked her for standing up to the insults, scorn, vicious remarks being made to and about her. Nothing will stop her and her supporters from spreading truth all over the country.

Then Cindy spoke. Some quotes from her speech follow:

"The best use of our resources is to go around the country and say not only is this president failing in Iraq but he is failing us here."

She referred to the failed levees (due to funding cuts they were abandoned without the Army Corps of Engineers completing them) and said the money to fix them went to Iraq. I think we've all figured that out by now. I wonder how those rich New Orleansians like their tax cuts now. Cindy said that family members of the National Guard soldiers told her their sons/daughters joined NG because they wanted to help protect THIS country and were then trapped in an illegal and immoral war. Then they were not here to help their own country in a crisis (Katrina) which is what they signed up for in the first place.

"How long will we let him continue to ruin this country?" Cindy had had enough on 8/3 and that's why she went to Crawford. She wants to take Camp Casey to those who couldn't come to Crawford. Cindy wants to hold the criminals accountable. There were quite a few people in the audience who had been to Camp Casey and they rose at one point as did all veterans in the audience.

He doesn't have a noble cause. He finally admitted he'd have to keep troops in Iraq longer than he thought. Of course, it's to guard the pipelines and bases not the Iraqi people or our freedom.

"WE THE PEOPLE OWN THIS COUNTRY!"

Congress and all elected officials work for US! Congress abrogated their right to declare war and gave it to GWB without a fight. We need a Congress with guts! She wouldn't trust GW to babysit her son when he was a child much less to run a war or a country. He has caused more devastation in 4 yrs than anyone else in history of U.S. and Homeland Security makes us far less secure.

When she mentioned that she visited Tom DeLay's office there were loud 'boo's' for TD. Sheehan said his staff told her she did not comport herself properly and refused to allow her to see Delay. But then, she didn't cause thousands of deaths with her actions. What kind of deportment is that? She said she might have gotten to talk to Delay if she'd had a feeding tube in her arm. (Much applause here.) Sheehan implored us to keep the pressure on GW and ask him "how many is he willing to sacrifice?" The chant of "Not one more" started here.

Finally, Cindy promised that if GW was still around next August she'd be around, too. She has grown accustomed to Texas in August (got to be kidding!) He can run but he can't hide.

Ms. Sheehan was quite eloquent and moving. There were quite a lot of police and media around. Wonder if they were expecting violence?

Even though Cindy Sheehan has created a hurricane of her own and may be the spark that explodes the resistance to GWB that we need, and even though she is performing a great service to those who see the country sinking into slime under this regime, I feel certain that this grieving mother would trade all the attention, all the good it does, all the people she motivates, indeed everything, for the chance to hug her son one more time. God bless her!

Bill Crosier of the Progressive Action Alliance presented Cindy with the Spine Award and Jim Rine of the San Jacinto Veterans Brigade presented Cindy and Amy Branham with the flags that represented their respective sons in the Memorial Day memorial and at Arlington South.

After Cindy left, the rally continued with speakers from Military Families Speak Oout and Gold Star Families for Peace. Anne Wright (the woman who kept things so well organized at Camp Casey and who resigned from the State Department in protest at the start of the Iraq War). She described the visit to Tom Delay's office.

During the rally, I, and other Democracy For Houston volunteers collected donations to support the tour. The response was overwhelming. As I walked through the crowd with my bucket, people continually tapped me on the shoulder to stop so they could add their contributions. The generosity and conviction of my fellow Houstonians and Texas continues to make me proud to make Houston my home.

The above photo is me with my official Cindy Sheehan mask.