Dear Friends,
As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before
the State of the Union Address tonight.
I am speechless with fury at
what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.
There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press.
(Shocker) So this is what really happened:
This afternoon at the
People's State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons
Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn
brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was
wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?
After the PSOTU
press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the
Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things
that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address
because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of
respect for her.
I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans
Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and
everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.
I got the
ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in
the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the
underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room
and went through security again.
My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front
row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me
to my seat.
I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights
of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the
right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled;
"Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with
my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm
going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.
The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out
of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to
await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy
Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said: "Take these steps
slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me
up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I
get hauled out of the People's House because I was, "Protesting."
I was
never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked
to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those
things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech
later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to
prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."
After I had my
personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt. came in and
looked at my shirt and said, "2245, huh? I just got back from there."
I
told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I
have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country
that I love. Where did America go? I started crying in pain.
What did
Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave young Americans die for? What are
tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't
even wear a shirt that has the number of troops on it that George Bush and his
arrogant and ignorant policies are responsible for killing.
I wore the
shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be there and I thought
every once in awhile they would show me and I would have the shirt on. I did not
wear it to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped my jacket during George's
speech. If I had any idea what happens to people who wear shirts that make the
neocons uncomfortable that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I
didn't.
There have already been many wild stories out there.
I
have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the
government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to take our
freedoms and our country back.
I don't want to live in a country that
prohibits any person, whether he/she has paid the ultimate price for that
country, from wearing, saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements
about the government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties
back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away from
me...or you.
I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters
who came to the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so
much potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.
Four
hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am so upset and
sore it is hard to think straight.
Keep up the struggle...I promise you
I will too.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy
© Copyright 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 by MikeHersh.com
and identified authors. MikeHersh.com invites you to broadcast
any material at this site, provided you identify the source as
MikeHersh.com. All print, Internet, email and other summaries, excerpts
or other written reproductions must
include this blurb and a link to http://www.MikeHersh.com.
