Anti-war mom Cindy Sheehan isn't running for Congress yet, but she's getting the kind of publicity that most politicians can only dream about. She has urged her supporters to organize vigils across the country -- "before one more mother's child is lost" -- and now a liberal advocacy group is making it happen.MoveOn.org announced that it has teamed up with TrueMajority and Democracy for America in organizing "Vigils for Cindy Sheehan" -- "to remind people of the terrible price of war."
| I had no idea Karl Rove was this good. |
In an email message to supporters, MoveOn.org noted that President Bush went for a bike ride on Saturday, then napped, went fishing and read. "But President Bush refused to meet with Cindy Sheehan, the grieving mother who lost her son in Iraq. Cindy is fast becoming an international spokeswoman against the war. But now, it's up to all of us to show that she's not alone in demanding answers from the president," the message said.
(Sheehan met with President Bush in June 2004, two months after her son died, at a military base near Seattle, Wash. She was among a group of families who lost loved ones in the war who were invited to spend a few minutes with the president.)
MoveOn.org said it has found people to host 300 vigils, but it wants to do better than that. "We've prepared a kit that walks you through exactly what you need to do. Can you host a vigil in your community?" The message says it would be "especially meaningful" for Iraq war veterans or soldiers' relatives to come to the vigils. "Bring a photo of your loved one to remind all of us what is at stake," MoveOn.org said. "These vigils aren't rallies or places to give long-winded speeches," MoveOn.org said.
But you can expect plenty of both at each and every vigil.
"They are moments to solemnly come together and mark the sacrifice of Cindy and other families."
Pass me a tissue.
The vigils will last about half an hour, organizers said. "If we all join together and do our part we can show the sort of public support for Cindy the president can't ignore."