Sheehan at it Agagin by retiredthoughts on Blogster

HAVANA - American "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan called for the closure of the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as she and other activists arrived here Saturday to draw attention to the nearly 400 terror suspects held at the remote site.

Sheehan is among 12 human rights and anti-war activists who will travel across this Caribbean island next week, arriving at the main gate of the Guantanamo base in eastern Cuba on Thursday — five years after the first prisoners were flown in.

"Anyone who knows me, knows that I am not afraid of anything," Sheehan said when asked about the possibility of U.S. sanctions for traveling to communist-run Cuba, which remains under an American trade embargo.

"What is more important is the inhumanity that my government is perpetrating at Guantanamo," she told reporters.

Sheehan, 49, of Vacaville, Calif., became an anti-war activist known as the "peace mom" after losing her 24-year-old son Casey in Iraq in April 2004.

She drew international attention after camping outside President Bush's Texas ranch to protest the war in Iraq, and has been arrested numerous times for trespassing.

Sheehan arrived in Havana early Saturday evening with trip organizer Medea Benjamin of the California nonprofit groups Global Exchange and CODEPINK: Women for Peace.

Benjamin said group members believed they were exempt from U.S. travel restrictions on Cuba because they were traveling as professional human rights activists who will attend a daylong international conference in the Cuban city of Guantanamo on Wednesday, the eve of their protest.

The U.S. military still holds about 395 men on suspicion of links to al-Qaida or the Taliban, including about 85 who have been cleared to be released or transferred to other countries.

20 comments on Sheehan at it Agagin

southwesterngrad said 1 years ago
People like Cindy Sheehan give me a pain in the ass![MAD][MAD]
bigbob47 said 1 years ago
[LOL][LOL][LOL][LOL][LOL]Cindy sucks.
nobullthinker said 1 years ago
I can't believe that idiot Hannity gave her air time last week. The man's a total pawn of his media masters. This woman needs to fade to black as quickly as possible.
retiredthoughts said 1 years ago
I certainly feel that many are using her for their own reasons, such as money, or policy, and that is too bad. And a trip to cuba is so off her message, it's comical. Whether she be right or wrong, her passion and goal about Iraq is appreciated by this Vietnam Vet who protested Vietnam as soon as I got home. I knew what I was doing, and knew we were wrong to be there. Unfortunately it took until 58,000 died to stop it. If she can, I sure hope she is successful long before that.
longthought said 1 years ago
I have met Cindy and I believe her to be a true HERO. Five years in a prison without a trial is not the AMERICAN WAY at least not the America I believe in.[COOL][COOL]
retiredthoughts said 1 years ago
agree. I don't think right now that America is living up to our own standards. The sooner Bush and his bunch are gone the better. But you knew that.
jondude said 1 years ago
Can I ask her to bring me back a couple of Montecristo Number Ones?[LOL]Oh well, she probably protests smoking cigars.
[WINK]
thepirateinthecity said 1 years ago
Cohiba Esplindidos for me. I get them in Canada.
jondude said 1 years ago
Come help me smoke mine. I have a large humidor with over 400 cigars. Several boxes of real Cubans, including a box of Esplendidos, a box of Romeo y Julieta Churchills, many, many more... (and six Centennials still unsmoked!!!)
[TONGUE]
Plenty of B & B or single malts to make it more than just a smoke!
greatmartin said 1 years ago
Right or wrong--see the comments below--at least she is trying to do something instead of sitting at home going "Tsk! Tsk!"--how many of those posting can say the same???
retiredthoughts said 1 years ago
I sure agree. Better to be out there saying what you feel, and having input into the political scene, rather than sitting home and saying boohoo. And that goes for anyone and anyone's point of view. American Democracy can only work when we the citizens participate.
tealstar said 1 years ago
Sorry about her son. I don't suppose she noticed that, except when she was breaking the law, no one arrested her and no one shut her up. That's this country too. She has a right to protest. I have a right to ignore her.
retiredthoughts said 1 years ago
Yes. Yes you do. But I don't recommend ignoring her until you know what she is saying. Then, after you inform yourself and can make ignoring her from an informed point of view, Ignore away. That's what I'm doing.
dawgnurse said 1 years ago
Ms. Sheehan needs help. She is stuck in the anger part of the grieving process...plus she likes the attention. Let's see now, I guess I should be carrying signs and protesting outside Emory University Hospital in Atlanta since Leukemia took my son away from me 10 years ago. Nope, that's not my way. I get angry every time I see her get TV time.[MAD][SAD]
greeneyedgemini said 1 years ago
I think she is simply fighting for what she believes in...... She has a voice and she is using it....
Too many talk the talk.... but how many will walk the walk -

Gem~
retiredthoughts said 1 years ago
I have no problem with her using her rights, and we can all choose to pay attention or not. I do hope that she isn't being exploited by something and comes to regret it some day.
elliott said 1 years ago
Viktor Frankl, the Jewish psychiatrist who survived more than one concentration camp during WWII, and wrote at least one book I have read: "Man's Search for Meaning," stated that with freedom comes resonsibleness. He went on to say that in addition to the Statue of Liberty on the east coast, we should have a "Statue of Responsibleness," on the west coast. Cindy Sheehan is demonstrating the first "Statue," but I question if she is following the intent of the second statue.
retiredthoughts said 1 years ago
good question. I think she has put her body on the line with what she does, meaning she could be arrested if she broke any laws, as have many great activists in the past. Whether what she did here is worthy of such a possible cost is certainly up for questioning. When she has protested the Iraq War, I thought she was believable and showed true concern.
retiredthoughts said 1 years ago
good question. I think she has put her body on the line with what she does, meaning she could be arrested if she broke any laws, as have many great activists in the past. Whether what she did here is worthy of such a possible cost is certainly up for questioning. When she has protested the Iraq War, I thought she was believable and showed true concern.
KDawg said 1 years ago
[ROLLEYES] not a fan... [THUMBDOWN]