e-mails from clergy @ crawford prayer vigil today

[nosmokes]

powerful stuff.













>
> From: Suzi xxx xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Dear Friends and Family,
> I went to the prayer vigil at noon in Crawford, Texas.
> We stood in solidarity with Cindy Sheenan and other
> familes of veterans and those greiving for the death
> of their children, spouses, friends and families. I
> went because I am a mom and cannot imagine the horror
> and pain of losing a child.
>
> Now, imagine this, a group of women, men, and clergy
> in their stoles, many elderly or our age, standing in
> the noon sun with the tempature close to 100. Hot,
> sweaty, greiving families - one father carrying the
> picture of his handsome,24 year old son killed in
> Afghanistan only 12 days before he was to be sent
> home.
> Our unruly crowd is armed with plastic water
> bottles,stoles and a kind woman with a water spray
> bottle keeping us cool. We were a threat to national
> security.
>
> The protestors have it so well organized. First stop
> is the Peace House located in the center of town.. It
> is an older home that has seen better days, but now
> has a noble purpose. The yard surrounding it has
> become a refuge and the house is a central place where
> all are welcomed. Makeshift tent coverings and large
> trees provide a cool place to rest for media and
> anyone else there to protest. A simple prayer
> labyrinth stands to the right side of the house. In
> the back, picnic tables and water are available to
> rest and cool off. Even, Mr. Bush would be welcomed.
>
> Anyone who wishes to eat is welcomed - media,
> families of the military, and all who come to stand in
> solidarty and peace- are fed. WE didn't enter the
> house which serves as both office and place of rest to
> Cindy Sheehan. It is a place of hospitality and
> action.
>
> During a powerful pray service, we surround those
> greiving from loss and paralyzed with fear for their
> children who are serving in Iraq and the forgotten war
> in Afghanistan. We prayed for President Bush, for the
> families who are greiving and heartbroken over the
> loss of their children and beloved family members.
>
> THe clergy persons, from all faiths and
> denominations, were present to share scripture,
> compassion, hope, and love. A Jewish Rabbi prayed for
> all of the children of Abraham, and all of us created
> by God as children of God. Others recited the 23
> Psalm, and read passages that reminded us that Jesus,
> a Rabbi, spoke truth in love.
>
> Robet Flowers, Steve XXXX, Lisa xxxxx and I
> gathered were a group of clergy from Central Texas. We
> met one of our Methodist Bishops, Joseph xxxx, who
> helped lead the services.
>
> We took the shuttles from the camp where the prayer
> vigil was held to the Ranch gate to deliver a letter
> from greiving families. One-way farm roads lead to
> Bush's ranch. The name is Prarie Chapel Road - that is
> where the Camp Casey moms and anti-war prosters were
> staying. A small group of tents, water, and crosses or
> each young man and woman killed in battle line the
> road to the camp. Nothing except a few t-shirts that
> may have been for sale or even free. We never saw a
> price posted for them.
>
> Praire Chapel Road leads to the ranch entrance a few
> miles away. The local sheriff's department is
> routing traffic and are on the front lines. The Texas
> state troopers are right behind them. Our local law
> enforcement seemed polite, somewhat sympathetic,and
> had a gentle way of handling our "unruly crowd." They
> were oing their job with grace, humor and treated us
> with respect.
>
> Behind the barricaded entrance road to the ranch, a
> variety of men with the physiques of FBI, Secret
> Service or other agents, stood their ground behind the
> barricade. This menacing mob of media and clergy were
> definetly not welcomed nor wanted.
>
> A tall representative tells the protestors that no one
> is there to receive the letter. He keeps repeating
> this. One guy yells out, I like the other guy better -
> he was at least polite. Apparently, each day, someone
> takes letters of protest to Mr. Bush.
>
> They will not let the military families cross the
> street to simply hand them a letter/petition to be
> given to Mr. Bush. "No one is there to receive it
> shouts a tall man with a cowboy hat and yellow shirt.
> (He reminds me of Curious' Geroge's friend, The Man in
> the Yellow Hat without the kindness.)
>
> Finally, a young woman (widow or sister) along with
> another military family member, a military mother and
> a young widon, ran across to the middle of the road &
> placed the letter with a small flower on the pavement
> in the middle of the road. I think they would have
> arrested them if they had caught them sneaking that
> close to the "sacred" gate. The women dared to leave
> the ditch where we were standing and pass the gravel
> "demarcation" line to place the letter on the
> pavement, leaving it there as a sacred remender.
>
> The men surrounding the drive leading to the rance,
> left this letter from greiving families with a flower
> sitting in the road in front of the Bush Barricade.
>
> No one picked it up. No one on the Bush side of the
> street had enough respect for the military families -
> no one from the Bush side moved and again stated that
> no one was there to receive it. So, a small white
> piece of paper with a red caranation reminded us of
> how well our greiving familes and "troops are
> suppored."
>
> After the stunned reality of this complete ignoring
> our military families, the media stepped A young
> veteran from Iraq him say "we are the ones who made
> the ultimate sacrifice," and I was unable to hear the
> rest.
>
> I stood in disbelief as two greiving women left the
> letter, the flower and the tears of the families at
> the entrace. I could not believe our President did
> not delegate someone to be there, knowing this vigil
> was taking place. I was offened that at least 4 or
> more Bush people stood by and refused to receive a
> letter from families, veterans and those who have
> stood in harms way for this "War on Terror."
>
>
> The prayers offered were for peace, for comfort, and
> compassion for the families here and Iraq who have
> lost their children to this "so-called" war for
> freedom. We prayed for guidance for President Bush.
>
> As we people of faith in God, we prayed for all of
> God's children - even our "enemies" as Jesus
> commanded.
>
> One clergy sister, who I did not know, took part in
> the service read the words of Jesus from the
> Beattitudes from Matthew 6. She reminded us
>
> "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
> the children of God."
>
>
> Thank you Cindy for supporting our troops by
> exercising the freedoms your son represents - the
> right to peacable assemble, the right of freedom of
> speech, and the right to question the actions of our
> elected officials who forget they work for the people
> of this country and our accountable for their
> decisions and their actions.
>
> We are not a theocracy nor monarchy, we are the United
> States of America, a democracy.
>
> I can't help but wonder why peace is so threatening.
>
>
> Peace,
> Suzi b

--###--


And I would add, Suzi, that the local TV station, covered Crawford in their
news at 10 PM. The talked and interviewed a family from Georgia who drove
with bed sheets (their campaign being, "We Give a Sheet" signed by Bush
supporters); 42 sheets in all. These sheets were presented to the same
people, on the same date, earlier in the day and they were RECEIVED by the
Western White House, whereas a letter from a far-too-young widow and a
flower, were not. The local network stations said NOT A WORD about the
prayer gathering we were a part of. Apparently, WFAA-Channel 8 in DFW DID
show a blip of clergywomen at Camp Casey.

What is going on?

--###--

Lisa xxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxx@xxxxxxxx

[PsychoDad]

1. What is going on?

Remember Animal Farm.

The pigs are in power and snowball is too busy to notice or be bothered by the donkeys and doves.

But he loves to hear the bleeting of his sheep.

It is a sad day, when the "elected" leader of this country is so far removed from the people he is supposed to represent that greaving widows have to sprint across a gravel curtain to leave a letter and a flower in the middle of the road in the hopes that snowball will read it.

For the people, by the people? Not anymore. This sounds like a scene from the Soviet Union.

[me b zola]

2. What's going on...

Mother, mother, there's too many of you crying.....





shrub, the ultimate disgrace.