[PAA-Discuss] FW: Thank You, Cindy

[Lee Loe]

  _____  

From: Leslie Cagan, UFPJ [mailto:listmaster at unitedforpeace.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 2:19 PM
To: leeloe at igc.org
Subject: Thank You, Cindy




 

Please forward widely! 

Dear LEE,

It was with great surprise that we read Cindy
<http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=kcD80lbXIVyoEmdS5fjepR
2f3Y8j5e3e> Sheehan's message about her decision to pull back from her
activism in the antiwar movement. Surprise, because we know how deep her
commitment is to this struggle, and because we know how much of herself she
has poured into this work. 

At the same time, we were not surprised that she needed a break. Cindy, like
many of us, has been working to end the war in Iraq for many years. But like
very few, she put most of the rest of her life on hold as she tirelessly
traveled the country, spoke to groups large and small, marched and rallied
and lobbied and participated in acts of nonviolent civil disobedience, did
media interviews and so much more every single day. And we cannot forget for
one moment that all of this was done not only as someone opposed to an
unjust and immoral war but also as a grieving mother, a parent whose son was
senselessly killed in a war that never should have happened, a war that has
taken so many Iraqi and U.S. lives. Her clarity and her energy helped to
inspire others to activism, people who also lost loved ones in Iraq and much
wider circles of people as well.

We are saddened by Cindy's decision, even though we respect it and know she
is doing what is right for her and her family.

But what is most sad is how long this deadly, costly, outrageous war has
gone on. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis are dead and their nation is in
ruins. More than 3,400 U.S. servicepeople are dead, and tens of thousands
will live with debilitating wounds for the rest of their lives. Our national
treasury has been robbed of over $400,000,000,000 and now Congress has
agreed to give Bush another $96 billion for this war and occupation. What we
are most sad and angry about is how stubborn the so-called leadership in
Washington is and how hard it is to end this war. 

However, we are inspired when we think about Cindy's work and the journey
she has been on. Her ability to turn personal grief into public action for
the greater good should serve as a model for others. What Cindy did was a
reminder that the actions we take as individuals do make a difference, and
that the impact of those actions is amplified when we join with others.
Cindy's individual contribution has been enormous, but she was part of a
much larger movement. Without that movement, her presence in Crawford, TX,
would not have resonated the way it did. Without that movement, her ongoing
activism would not have had its power or ability to reach so many others.
And that's a critically important lesson for us all: We each must find our
voice and take the action that's most appropriate for us as individuals -
and inspire others to do so as well -- that is how we make the strongest
contribution toward the growth of our movement.

Our movement also needs to take this moment to reflect on how we support one
another. We have taken on an extremely difficult challenge: We seek to
change the policies of the largest, most deadly military force in human
history. We are confronting the economic, cultural and social power of the
rulers of this nation, and we are demanding profound changes. Doing this
work takes a toll on us, and yet we push forward. There are differences
among us and there always will be. The goal shouldn't necessarily be to
eradicate those differences but rather to find new, constructive ways to
deal with them. We're going to need every ally and every tool in the toolbox
- and probably some others that haven't been dreamed up yet - to end this
war!

We thank Cindy for all that she has done, and wish her well in regaining her
strength. And we take this opportunity to recommit ourselves to the hard
work ahead -- the work of building and strengthening our movement and the
work of ending the war and bringing all the troops home!

We look forward to taking this mandate into our upcoming National Assembly
in Chicago. Hundreds of delegates from UFPJ's member groups around the
country will gather June 22-24 to discuss the next stage of our work. Keep
an eye out for updates -- together we will end this war!

Yours, for peace and justice,


Leslie Cagan
UFPJ National Coordinator

  _____  

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