August 2005
Cindy Sheehan's War
"Casey's my hero because of the way he lived, not because of the way he died...Casey lived a great life and he was an honorable man and he died in a dishonorable war."
—Cindy Sheehan, from an interview with Salon.com
In early August, Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey died while fighting in Iraq in April 2004, sets up a camp and holds a makeshift vigil two miles away from President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch, demanding a second meeting with Bush. (She previously met the President, along with other military families, in June of 2004). Sheehan, who makes no secret of her belief that Bush is responsible for the death of her son or of her desire to tell him that all troops must be immediately withdrawn from Iraq, is rebuffed by the President, and even spawns counter-protests from conservatives. Long after the Crawford media circus ends, Sheehan campaigns against the war and becomes the most famous and emotional face of the country's anti-war movement.