Family 'thanks' Bush for death of son

[Nambe]

WKYC-TV

In Geauga County, anger and frustration over the death of a young soldier inside Iraq has prompted one family to send a personal message to President Bush.

Ken and Betty Landrus have put up a large sign outside their home near Thompson, Ohio that is sharply critical of the Bush administration. ..

Their son, Staff Sgt. Sean Landrus was killed near Fallujah in January.

They believe the president misled the country about the reasons for invading Iraq and that their son died for nothing. ..

Sean Landrus also left behind a wife and three young children.

[enki23]

1. you know... i'm mostly jaded about the news these days

but for some reason, that sign is horrible. i can't imagine what they were feeling when they were assembling it. it makes me feel sick to try.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

9. I feel that many others would post similar signs but for fear of God

Serving Republicans that might burn their house down.



God bless them.

[shadu]

27. we must arise even stronger in the face of this

anyone can cry their life away
(man, that is sad)

[terrya]

2. This sign is so heartbreaking. My condolences to the Landrus family.

That is one of the most powerful, heartwrenching displays of the stupid, inexcusible costs of this war. The Landrus family lost their son...just because George W. Bush had to have his war.

That sign makes me want to cry. For all of it.

[UrbScotty]

13. Yeah. This story really gets to me.

:cry:

[skooooo]

21. Hope it gets national airplay...

Bush should be ashamed of his foolishness.

[Seabiscuit]

38. Bush and his neocon puppeteers

have no shame.

They are the essence of evil.

[WillyT]

3. Right On !!!

Take anger, sorrow, and despair, and turn it into action.

I hope these families are all getting together like the 9\11 families, and start speaking out on this.

Anybody know if they have???

:shrug:

[Swamp Rat]

18. Some DUers already identified the GOP Nazi youth as Deryk Schlessinger

Dr. Laura's son:

[WillyT]

25. The Pictures Looked Similar, But Are You Guys Sure ???

There was a Taylor Bickford from Alaska in the 'Page Program' at the RNC. One of 155 'youths'.

Link: http://www.gopconvention.com/contents/newsroom/events/pageprogram/

:shrug:

I wish that picture of Dr. Laura's son, the one with the Hookah (sp?), was a close-up.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. That's MR. (not President)

they know.

[Career Prole]

5. The penalty for AWOL from a National Guard unit is a transfer

to active duty. I wish President Desert* Warfare would go and take his licks.

*Yo shrub...in your case this is the verb, not the noun.

[Tempest]

6. This will really hurt Dumbya

Much more than any attack from Kerry.

I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of these forceful outbursts from military families.

[skooooo]

22. only if it gets in the national news...

...what are the chances of that?

[Carolina]

28. heck if it just makes the news all over Ohio

that'll be good. The pundits love to point out that no repuke has won thw WH without winning OH!

[Tempest]

32. Exactly.

And other battleground states.

I emailed the article to news sources all over the place.

[Tempest]

31. Doesn't need to get in the national news

Just in the news in the battleground states bordering Ohio.

[blm]

7. I am so saddened. The starkness of their message

and the way they chose to convey it should send a chill into the chickenhawks responsible. But, I doubt they feel anything.

[SoCalDem]

8. they were profiled by CBS ...3/19/04

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/19/earlyshow/living/main607282.shtml
.....snip

So did Staff Sgt. Sean Landrus - only his homecoming was markedly different. His daughter, Khrista, is only twelve years old, but she had already seen her dad deployed four times. His farewell was very emotional, she says. “He came down to the living room and I gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. They got a picture of him in his BDUs and he left. That was the last time I ever saw him." Landrus left his family just five weeks after his third child was born. Everybody worried about him, including his parents.

His mother, Betty Landrus, says of his assignment, "He mainly searched out and destroyed landmines and that sort of thing.” It was an ambush near Khalidiyah that took their son's life. CBS News Correspondent Allen Pizzey reported, "The first blast hit a passing U.S. convoy. The second went off as reinforcements arrived." Three other soldiers traveling with Landrus died in the attack. First reports were that Landrus was injured, but would survive. For two days, his family went through an agonizing search for information.

Khrista says, "We called to Germany, we called to Fort Riley, everywhere we could, to get information to where he was, and he never left Baghdad until he was dead." He died two days after the ambush.
Clutching a letter addressed to her son, Betty Landrus says, "This was Sean's birthday card that I sent to him. I got home yesterday and it had come back. Said it was unclaimed and marked deceased. He died five days after his birthday." Landrus' death has only strengthened his family's feelings about a war they never supported.

Betty Landrus says, "I know we like to think we're the big country that can solve everyone's problem, but we have to take care of some of our own first." Her husband, Ken, adds, “I do think it's a waste of life. Like I said, I think Bush had more sympathy for his dog he put to sleep than he does the kids getting killed." Khrista doesn't understand the politics of war, but she does understand the pain. She says, "I'd give up everything just to have one call to him." One war, two families, and two opinions. And they are not alone. The latest CBS News poll says a majority of Americans, 58 percent, think the U.S. did the right thing going to Iraq.

©MMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

[robbedvoter]

10. I hope bush gets the full impact of this (retribution that is)

[Carla in Ca]

11. Tragic...but remember

When young daughter of babs and poppy died, she was never spoken of again and they played golf the next day.
She has 'too beautiful a mind' to see body bags.

What do you expect from a son of parents like them?

[chelsea0011]

15. Is this true? Golf?

[TexasBushwhacker]

23. Yes, Barbara wasn't even at the hospital

George Sr. called to let her know that Robin had died and she said she blew off steam by playing a long round of golf.

[Carla in Ca]

24. Right, Texas

These people have tried to portray an image of happiness but they are a sad family. * has had to suppress a lot which, I think, accounts for all the drinking.

[belle]

30. Not only that, they never told Dubya his sister was dying

I think in fact he only found out she'd *died* after she'd been buried and the funeral happened.

Years later, he asked his mother why they'd never told him, and Babs said, "Well, it wouldn't have made any difference."

[otohara]

12. Zell Miller Will Attack This Family

as being un-American

[saigon68]

36. Zell Miller is a flawed Human Being

He is evil incarnate

[chelsea0011]

14. This is the sad reality of Bush as President

and I get sick every time he does his flip-flop campaign stump speech. He never acknowledges the damage done to thousands of families over his illegal war in Iraq. The idea that this administration refuses to acknowledge the deaths of servicemen and civilians is sickening.

[xchrom]

16. sad

what more can you say -- dear god, bless that bereaved family.
sigh.

[0007]

17. Brings the troops home alive!

[saigon68]

41. kick

[flpeach]

19. This is Just Heartbreaking . . .

I have a 20 year old son and a 17 year old daughter and I cannot IMAGINE losing them like this. That poor family, my heart truly goes out for them . . .

[llmart]

20. I'm from the county next to this one....

and I think the area the Landrus's live in is wingnut country - out in the sticks with a lot of anti-tax people. Hopefully, seeing this sign and reading the article and hearing it on the news will open some of their eyes to why we protested this immoral/illegal war.

[pinniped]

26. Nothing believing about it. * DID LIE to the country about the reasons.

n/t

[Supersedeas]

39. Thanks for lying *

[the Kelly Gang]

29. how distressing ..

[Bush was AWOL]

33. There is a sign up in Columbus (Upper Arlington)

very similar in a neighbors yard. The signs says, Bush's war, The name of the kid that died with his picture in their yard.

[Mrs_Beastman]

34. I lived in Geauga Co when I met Mr Beastman

the area needs a sign like that...it's very conservative. Mr Beastman and I went to Geauga Co this weekend ( to the humane society to get another cat , of course) and I have never seen so many Bush stickers....It's like the county hasn't been impacted by Bush and they love him. I was truly afraid. Yes, Geauga county is the richest county in the state...and from what I've seen very Catholic, but young people are dying for no reason. I hope that sign stays up and makes a difference.

[Beware the Beast Man]

35. Yes, and this is in Thompson

A particulary rural section of a particularly rural county, so guaranteed there has to be some Freep activity in the area. It definitely took some courage for this family to post that sign.

[Zorra]

37. kick

[barb162]

40. I notice it says "Mr" instead of "Pres."

that was a nice touch showing their disdain for our great leader

[GOPBasher]

42. Poor family.

No parents should EVER have to bury their kids. And what did they lose their child over? :cry: :-( :-(

[GOPBasher]

43. Poor family.

No parents should EVER have to bury their kids. And what did they lose their child over? :cry: :-( :-(

[GOPBasher]

44. Poor family.

No parents should EVER have to bury their kids. And what did they lose their child over? :cry: :-( :-(