| Tuesday, August 16, 2005 |
| Ms. Sheehan's Vigil |
Over the past few days Ms. Sheehan's vigil on the road to President Bush's home in Crawford, Texas, has been all over the news. In fact, today is day ten of her vigil. She is supposedly there for several reasons. One reason is to mourn her son's death in Iraq. Another reason is to protest the war. And another is to ask for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.
I question her motives. Ms. Sheehan met with President Bush in April 2004 and told a local newspaper: "I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis. I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith." What happened to change her mind?
And then on top of that what is she doing to her son's memory? The US military is an all-volunteer force. I'm sure her son signed up for the same reason that most young men sign up: He believed that defending this country with his life was an honorable choice. Was her son's death for nothing?
But I digress. I write this blog because this subject reminded me of a letter from President Abraham Lincoln to Mrs. Lydia Bixby, a mourning mother:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, Nov. 21, 1864.
Dear Madam,--
I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who have died gloriously on the field of battle.
I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
A. Lincoln The letter was printed by the Boston Evening Transcipt. The original letter was destroyed by Mrs. Bixby, who--interestingly--was a Confederate sympathizer and disliked President Lincoln.
Hmmm. Nothing new under the sun, huh? |
posted by Joe Napalm @ 8:34 PM   |
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