Bob & Carol
2006-09-04 21:21:28 UTC
Hi All
Carol & I returned today from a overnight trip to Camp Casey in Crawford,
Texas.
We had a great time there.
Camp Casey 3 is on Cindy Sheehan' land almost a mile from the center of
Crawford. In case you don't know Crawford, it is a one stop lite town of 705
people. It has a major train line running through the middle of it and it
doesn't stop there, not even Amtrak. The Crawford Peace House is a half a
block off the main drag. We arrived for a late lunch which was served to
everyone who came. There were about 50 to 100 folks there for the final two
days of activities. Some folks had been there nearly a month. Cindy and
others are headed to Wash. D.C. to set up Camp Democracy tomorrow.
Cindy bought 5 acres recently, cleared the land of weeds, had a small road
built paved with chert, set up porta pottys, water, and electricity, and a
big 60' by 120' tent for the events. Speakers and music were the events of
the day and night, including Texas State Congressman, Lon Bernam. Retired
Col. Ann Wright was the emcee. She is a great person, very much in charge,
as you might expect for a ex Army woman, but sweet and full of compassion. A
terrific Reggae/ Jazz band called At Tun ( sp?) played between speakers.
They got us all dancing and in a good groove. I hung Judy Meeker's, and
Algee's, American Peace Flag near the stage with the other banners.
A recent Waco newspaper article claimed that Cindy Sheehan was now
irrelevant. They also published her reply saying she was happy to be
irrelevant, because there are now so so many more people struggling for
peace that it doesn't matter one bit.
The strong medicine came in the evening after a dinner was brought out to us
all from the Peace House kitchen. Four young men, all Army and Marine combat
veterans of the Iraq War took turns speaking at the mic telling us of the
horrors they encountered and participated in Falluja and other parts of
Iraq. It was heartbreaking to hear them speak of the worst stuff
imaginable, yet hopeful in that they came around to their senses and are now
getting the courage to tell us their story's of transformation. In their
speeches we could hear them crying out for forgiveness, for understanding,
as well as expressing gratitude that all of us were there to help them to
recover.
It was not unlike my own experience upon returning from Vietnam, when, after
a short month of wandering aimlessly around San Francisco, I was taken to
Monday Night Class. There, in my short hair, I was treated with such
kindness and friendship that I found some hope that I would again find my
way in the World.
Camp Casey has been a lot like that for these vets and everyone else that
comes there. It is a place of Love and tolerance where folks come to find
and participate in the knowledge that we must continue our struggle for
Peace and Justice with compassion for everyone, including the Bushites. Hate
was not present there. Anger came in the gate, but it was being transformed
into action for peace.
Several Gold Star Mothers (and a wife) for Peace followed the veterans.
Cindy Sheehan was among them. She had a hysterectomy very recently in Waco,
but was around us all a lot and she seems to be recovering nicely. All the
women were strong and very committed to the cause of ending the war. The
loss of their sons has devastated them all. However, their commitment to
ending the war, and more importantly, creating a culture of peace is the
struggle that will be happening for the rest of their lives. Cindy told us
that we probable didn't keep up the struggle after Vietnam, because it was
mostly about "ending the war." She said we need to keep it up in the Spirit
of Love to create a world where we resolve our conflicts by peaceful means.
She and her cohorts have had to deal with conflicts establishing their place
in Crawford and they have succeeded.
She(they) are planning to keep and build Camp Casey and to make it Peace
Institute, a sanctuary for active duty soldiers, veterans, and activists.
This got every ones attention, because it won't ever be closing down. Cindy
invited Everyone( all of you all too) to come back for Thanksgiving, and
sweetly suggested that we become vegetarians, because turkey won't be on the
menu. It will likely be Arabic food.
Sunday we had a Service. Many folks spoke, held hands, and hugged. We walked
in silence around the big graveyard in the middle of the land, hugged more,
and cleaned up before leaving. It was good there.
Go visit when you get a chance. Bring a tent or stay in a motel in MacGregor
or Waco.
Bob
Carol & I returned today from a overnight trip to Camp Casey in Crawford,
Texas.
We had a great time there.
Camp Casey 3 is on Cindy Sheehan' land almost a mile from the center of
Crawford. In case you don't know Crawford, it is a one stop lite town of 705
people. It has a major train line running through the middle of it and it
doesn't stop there, not even Amtrak. The Crawford Peace House is a half a
block off the main drag. We arrived for a late lunch which was served to
everyone who came. There were about 50 to 100 folks there for the final two
days of activities. Some folks had been there nearly a month. Cindy and
others are headed to Wash. D.C. to set up Camp Democracy tomorrow.
Cindy bought 5 acres recently, cleared the land of weeds, had a small road
built paved with chert, set up porta pottys, water, and electricity, and a
big 60' by 120' tent for the events. Speakers and music were the events of
the day and night, including Texas State Congressman, Lon Bernam. Retired
Col. Ann Wright was the emcee. She is a great person, very much in charge,
as you might expect for a ex Army woman, but sweet and full of compassion. A
terrific Reggae/ Jazz band called At Tun ( sp?) played between speakers.
They got us all dancing and in a good groove. I hung Judy Meeker's, and
Algee's, American Peace Flag near the stage with the other banners.
A recent Waco newspaper article claimed that Cindy Sheehan was now
irrelevant. They also published her reply saying she was happy to be
irrelevant, because there are now so so many more people struggling for
peace that it doesn't matter one bit.
The strong medicine came in the evening after a dinner was brought out to us
all from the Peace House kitchen. Four young men, all Army and Marine combat
veterans of the Iraq War took turns speaking at the mic telling us of the
horrors they encountered and participated in Falluja and other parts of
Iraq. It was heartbreaking to hear them speak of the worst stuff
imaginable, yet hopeful in that they came around to their senses and are now
getting the courage to tell us their story's of transformation. In their
speeches we could hear them crying out for forgiveness, for understanding,
as well as expressing gratitude that all of us were there to help them to
recover.
It was not unlike my own experience upon returning from Vietnam, when, after
a short month of wandering aimlessly around San Francisco, I was taken to
Monday Night Class. There, in my short hair, I was treated with such
kindness and friendship that I found some hope that I would again find my
way in the World.
Camp Casey has been a lot like that for these vets and everyone else that
comes there. It is a place of Love and tolerance where folks come to find
and participate in the knowledge that we must continue our struggle for
Peace and Justice with compassion for everyone, including the Bushites. Hate
was not present there. Anger came in the gate, but it was being transformed
into action for peace.
Several Gold Star Mothers (and a wife) for Peace followed the veterans.
Cindy Sheehan was among them. She had a hysterectomy very recently in Waco,
but was around us all a lot and she seems to be recovering nicely. All the
women were strong and very committed to the cause of ending the war. The
loss of their sons has devastated them all. However, their commitment to
ending the war, and more importantly, creating a culture of peace is the
struggle that will be happening for the rest of their lives. Cindy told us
that we probable didn't keep up the struggle after Vietnam, because it was
mostly about "ending the war." She said we need to keep it up in the Spirit
of Love to create a world where we resolve our conflicts by peaceful means.
She and her cohorts have had to deal with conflicts establishing their place
in Crawford and they have succeeded.
She(they) are planning to keep and build Camp Casey and to make it Peace
Institute, a sanctuary for active duty soldiers, veterans, and activists.
This got every ones attention, because it won't ever be closing down. Cindy
invited Everyone( all of you all too) to come back for Thanksgiving, and
sweetly suggested that we become vegetarians, because turkey won't be on the
menu. It will likely be Arabic food.
Sunday we had a Service. Many folks spoke, held hands, and hugged. We walked
in silence around the big graveyard in the middle of the land, hugged more,
and cleaned up before leaving. It was good there.
Go visit when you get a chance. Bring a tent or stay in a motel in MacGregor
or Waco.
Bob