Elaine here while Rebecca's on vacation. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was bored with me and thinking "enough already" but thank you to everyone who's written nice e-mails. I'll be as glad as everyone when Rebecca's back but the e-mails have really made it fun and encouraged me so thank you to everyone.
And for Mike, we'll make a point to make the first link to Democracy Now!
Cindy Sheehan Vigil Gains Support From Congress
Meanwhile, in Crawford, Texas Cindy Sheehan is continuing her vigil outside the ranch where President Bush is once again vacationing. And her campaign is gaining momentum and support. Sheehan, of course, grabbed headlines in recent days since she began camping near President Bush's ranch. She is the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq. As more military families arrived from several states to join Sheehan, 38 members of Congress signed a letter asking Bush to meet with her. On Saturday, National Security Advisor Steven Hadley and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Joe Hagin met with Sheehan briefly, but she called the exchange "pointless" and has said she will stay in Crawford until the president meets with her.
"Why for Mike?" Sherry asked in her e-mail. I'm not net savy. As I understand it, links add to popularity. So the point in linking to Democracy Now! is to provide a link that's worth linking to. The easiest way for me to picture it in my head is with citations but I think I can simplify it.
If you're listening to the radio and you hear a song, you may not buy the song. But the number of times the song gets played is calculated. So the number of times Democracy Now! gets a link is calculated as well. And I'd rather do my part to make Democracy Now! a heavily cited source than to offer up something from MSNBC or something similar.
So Cindy's still out there in the hot summer sun, out in Crawford. And Billie e-mailed this morning to say that she was on her way out there. What did you do for Cindy Sheehan today?
Did you find someone to discuss her vigil with? Did you manage to work her into the conversation?
Maybe you don't live nearby the way Billie does or maybe you can't take off from work but you can do something. You can raise awareness for starters.
There is so much excitement around the brave stand that Cindy Sheehan is taking. You can do your part to add to the excitement. This is how movements really get going.
You can also call your local paper and your local TV stations and ask that they cover Cindy Sheehan or that they cover her more if they are covering her.
I really just want to focus on Cindy Sheehan tonight because I think we're all very excited by her bravery and strength. We've seen little of that from our elected officials and to see real bravery like this inspires us and reminds us of what we can do.
Cindy Sheehan is there for her son Casey Sheehan and for all the other sons and daughters, for all the citizens here and in Iraq. What's so amazing to me is how many people are supporting her in whatever way they can. Supporting her is supporting all of us. It's saying our government is accountable and it's saying that we do make a difference, each of us.
It's empowering and truth and bravery usually are. When we see apathy all around us, it's easy to think, "Well what difference can I make?" By the same token, when we see someone lay it on the line, it can inspire us to be more than we would otherwise.
Cindy Sheehan's presenting us with a wonderful gift, bravery and truth. We need to support that and we need to make sure that we inform the people in our lives that we stand behind her. So keep getting the word out and keep the faith.
"Peace Quotes" (Peace Center)
Let us plant dates even though those who plant them will never eat them. We must live by the love of what we will never see. This is the secret discipline. It is a refusal to let the creative act be dissolved away in immediate sense experience, and a stubborn commitment to the future of our grandchildren. Such disciplined love is what has given prophets, revolutionaries, and saints the courage to die for the future they envisaged. They make their own bodies the seed of their highest hope.
Ruben Alves, Tomorrow's Child
