GRIEVING ANTI-WAR MOM SHOWS UNAPPEALING BIAS AGAINST ISRAEL
-- The Politicization of Grief?
"You get America out of Iraq and Israel out of Palestine and you'll stop the terrorism." -- Cindy Sheehan, anti-war protestor in Crawford.
iconoclast.ca
The front page of just about every newspaper this weekend noted the anti-war protest of Cindy Sheehan, a very sympathetic figure and mother of a soldier who was killed in Iraq. Not surprisingly, various anti-Bush elements in the U.S. and Canada have jumped on board Ms. Sheehan's protest - casting her and her message as an example of courageous heroism.
In particular, she has been praised and heralded by Democrats such as Joe Trippi (campaign manager for Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean's campaign for President), by Michael Moore, and by organizations such as Democrats.com, MoveOn.org, True Majority, and Democracy for America.
However, take another look at Cindy Sheehan's quote at the top of this commentary. If only it were an aberration. Unfortunately, it represents only a tip of the iceberg of Ms. Sheehan's world-view.
In a letter to Nightline, Ms. Sheehan wrote that the entire Iraq War was part of a neo-conservative plot to benefit Israel:
"Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel."
Is Israel such a scourge on the world that it's implied infamy outranks the scurrilous deeds of the overthrown Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, who did in fact:
* operate rape rooms and torture chambers (not only for authoritarian political purposes, but for his own sadistic entertainment pleasure). * launch chemical weapons against his own people (murdering thousands of innocent & helpless non-combatant women and children).
* housed terrorists as his guests in Iraq - terrorists such as Abu Nidal, who murdered Leon Klinghoffer on the Achille Lauro cruise ship.
* paid a bounty of $25,000 to the families of Palestinian homicide bombers.
* established stronger links to the al Qaeda terrorist network than the mainstream media are willing to acknowledge (for a new comprehensive summary of the latest evidence, check out www.HusseinAndTerror.com).
Viewed as part of a painful grieving process, Cindy Sheehan's distorted politicization of her son's death can be excused though not validated.
But can the same be said for the various elements of the media, Democratic Party and anti-war movement who are encouraging and abetting Ms. Sheehan's demonization of the state of Israel in an attempt to discredit George W. Bush?
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