PROTESTING THE PROTESTERS

The usual suspects with their usual sanctimony gathered yesterday at Veterans Memorial Park by the library to protest the war in Iraq.  The pretext for this protest was a show of support for Cindy Sheehan, who is presently camped outside of President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, demanding a meeting with him.  Sheehan lost a son in Iraq and has subsequently joined the worst elements of the Left by denouncing Bush as a terrorist and a mass-murderer.  Her story is sadder still, because her family believes she is exploiting her son's death rather than honoring his sacrifice to his country and is now alienated from her.

But Sheehan has a new "family" now.  The anti-war crowd has adopted her and will hold her close until she no longer serves their purpose.  Hence, yesterday's local protest.  By all means people should march about with their signs, shouting and singing, chanting their slogans, shaking their fists against Bush and the war in the Iraq.  Heaven knows there's a lot to complain about.  (Although I suspect my complaints about Bush's conduct of the war are quite different from those of the protesters.)  But there was something particularly repulsive about how our local lefties self-righteously glommed onto Sheehan's shamelessly public show of grief.

Please, let's not cut the woman too much slack.  Sheehan has said her son was “murdered by the Bush crime family”and that Bush should “send his two little party animals to die in Iraq.”  She has demanded of Bush: “You tell me the truth. You tell me that my son died for oil. You tell me that my son died to make your friends rich. You tell me my son died to spread the cancer of Pax Americana.”  Not too high on the Land of the Free, is she?  Indeed:  “America has been killing people on this continent since it was started. This country is not worth dying for.”

This is the woman who the protesters say has a claim on our compassion.

I'll be straight with you, folks.  I just can't take the protesters' compassion for Sheehan and her son as genuine.  After all, where were these oh-so caring people when Army Sgt. Todd Robbins was killed in Iraq?  How about Ranger Sgt. Sean Reynolds?  Army PFC Nicholas Blodgett?  Marine Cpl. Michael Lindemuth?  Army Specialist Eric Burri?  Or Army Specialist Brian Derks who was killed just last week?  All were local men.  Where were yesterday's protesters shouldering the grief of their families when these warriors fell in defense of our country?

AWOL, of course.