Camp Casey, Crawford, Texas
Encyclopedia
Camp Casey was the name given to the encampment of anti-war protesters outside the Prairie Chapel Ranch
in Crawford, Texas
during US President George W. Bush
's five-week summer vacation there in 2005, named after Iraq War casualty US Army Specialist
Casey Sheehan.
It was founded by Cindy Sheehan
after she failed to get a second meeting with President Bush for an explanation of the cause for which her son, Casey, died. Having been turned away, she pitched a tent by the side of the road and announced her intention to stay, day and night, for the full five weeks or until such a meeting is granted. She also promised that, if she were not granted a second meeting, she would return to Crawford each time Bush visited.
Other members of Gold Star Families for Peace
and other anti-Iraq War activists joined them, camped in public land, such as ditches by the road.
A local property owner provided them with a place to camp, which became known as "Camp Casey II."
Two weeks after the establishment of "Camp Casey," counter-protestors established their own camp
nearby.
and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
would be at the president's nearby ranch. However, no arrests in connection with the protest were made. President George W. Bush
did speak to reporters at his ranch, saying:
Prior to going on a bicycle ride on his Texas ranch on August 13, 2005 Bush gave journalists and aides a defense of his not meeting with Sheehan stating, as reported by Ken Herman of Cox Enterprises
:
Sheehan later issued a statement, which among other things outlined the purpose of the protest.
, at whose convention Sheehan spoke just prior to beginning her vigil in Crawford. Members of the organization also assisted at the "Camp Casey" site, installing and maintaining the Arlington West
display there.
The website MoveOn.org announced on August 10, 2005 that it was gathering comments via email to place in a two-page newspaper spread in a Sunday edition of the Waco Tribune newspaper in support of Sheehan and her efforts. MoveOn gathered more than 250,000 comments, many of which were included in the advertisement. Tom Matzzie of MoveOn said:
Supporters pointed out that the Crawford protest highlighted the Bush administration's belief in selective violence and the claim that the President failed to take responsibility for the deaths of those he commanded.
On the week of August 8, 2005 several other groups were reported traveling to Texas to join the protest. Sherry Bohlen, field director of the Progressive Democrats of America
(PDA), was one person traveling to Crawford, and said of the protest:
On August 9, 2005, Sheehan began writing a blog concerning (among other things) her experience at Camp Casey, her thoughts on the Iraq War, and her response to right-wing criticism of her. It was featured on several websites, including The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Michael Moore.com.
She spoke at the laissez-faire Ludwig von Mises Institute
, whose founder and president, the free-market capitalist Lew Rockwell
, regularly features Sheehan's columns on his website.
Celeste Zappala, mother of slain Sgt. Sherwood Baker, the first Pennsylvania National Guardsman to die in Iraq, said, at a press conference at the Crawford site: "When we buried Sherwood, I knelt down beside his coffin and I vowed to him I will speak the truth for him. This war is a disaster. It is a betrayal of our military. And it's a betrayal of the democracy they seek to protect." "I think they have absolutely no idea what they're doing, I think we're getting to the point where normal, reasonable people are starting to see that. The war has to stop. We don't want anyone else killed. We're here to support the troops, to bring them home now, alive. ... My little piece in all this was to say, 'We've got to tell the truth.'"
Minnesota State Senator Becky Lourey, a vocal critic of the Iraq War, and mother of fallen Army helicopter pilot Matthew Lourey, traveled to Crawford to protest Bush's refusal to meet with Sheehan. "There is an isolation here of President Bush from the people," said Lourey. "(and)it seems to me as I am looking around that it is wrong, that a person who makes life and death decisions is insulated from the people who suffer the consequences of those decisions". She also traveled to Crawford to grieve and support her fellow military parent, stating that she wanted to "put her arms around" Sheehan and offer her support.
Lynn Bradach, mother of Marine Cpl. Travis Bradach-Nall, who died from a land mine explosion in Iraq during the summer of 2004, travelled from Portland, Oregon to Crawford to join Sheehan in her vigil. "'I don’t want to be a center of anything,' said Bradach. 'But when you strongly believe something, at some point you have to stand up for it."
Karen Meredith, whose son, Army Lt. Ken Ballard, was killed in Iraq in May 2004,, defended Sheehan, saying, "Some people are trying to paint her as one crazy woman against the war, and she’s not. A lot of people feel like her and want to know what the noble cause is."
Linda Ryan, mother of Corporal Marc T. Ryan, a Marine who was killed in Ramadi
, says of Sheehan: "She's going about this not realizing how many people she's hurting. When she refers to anyone killed in Iraq, she's referring to my son. She doesn't have anything to say about what happened to my son,"
On August 15, 2005, Matt and Toni Matula, parents of Matthew Matula, a Texas
Marine killed in Iraq, requested that the white cross representing their dead son as a victim of the war in Iraq be removed, stating that they did not wish their son's name to be part of an anti-war demonstration. Mr. Matula said: "It's fine for people to grieve their own way. It aggravates me to see them using other people's names to further their cause."
Natalie Healy, mother of Dan Healy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan, organized a rally on August 20, 2005 in Portsmouth
, New Hampshire
in order to counteract Sheehan's message, stating: "We just want to let the fellas know that we’re supporting them and that we’re not going to wimp out on them."
Gary Qualls whose son, Marine Corporal Louis Wayne Qualls died in Iraq, started what was dubbed "Fort Qualls
" in Crawford, Texas to counter the "Camp Casey" protests. Qualls stated that he had to keep taking down the white cross bearing his son's name from the Arlington West display set up by "Camp Casey".
. Sometimes thes camps were called "peace camps's" sometimes they were named after a local who had died while fighting overseas.
Prairie Chapel Ranch
Prairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre ranch in unincorporated McLennan County, Texas, located seven miles northwest of Crawford. The property was acquired by President George W...
in Crawford, Texas
Crawford, Texas
Crawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
during US President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's five-week summer vacation there in 2005, named after Iraq War casualty US Army Specialist
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
Casey Sheehan.
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan is an American anti-war activist whose son, U.S. Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed by enemy action during the Iraq War. She attracted national and international media attention in August 2005 for her extended anti-war protest at a makeshift camp outside President...
after she failed to get a second meeting with President Bush for an explanation of the cause for which her son, Casey, died. Having been turned away, she pitched a tent by the side of the road and announced her intention to stay, day and night, for the full five weeks or until such a meeting is granted. She also promised that, if she were not granted a second meeting, she would return to Crawford each time Bush visited.
Other members of Gold Star Families for Peace
Gold Star Families for Peace
Gold Star Families for Peace is a United States-based organization founded in January 2005 by individuals who lost family members in the Iraq War, and are thus entitled to display a Gold Star. It is considered an offshoot of Military Families Speak Out...
and other anti-Iraq War activists joined them, camped in public land, such as ditches by the road.
A local property owner provided them with a place to camp, which became known as "Camp Casey II."
Two weeks after the establishment of "Camp Casey," counter-protestors established their own camp
Fort Qualls
Fort Qualls refers to the pro-Bush encampment near US President George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, which launched a demonstration to counter "Camp Casey" in downtown Crawford....
nearby.
Administration Response
There had been reports that the police had threatened to arrest all protesters on site on Thursday, August 11, 2005 when Secretary of Defense Donald RumsfeldDonald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
would be at the president's nearby ranch. However, no arrests in connection with the protest were made. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
did speak to reporters at his ranch, saying:
- "I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan. She feels strongly about her position, and she has every right in the world to say what she believes. This is America. She has a right to her position, and I thought long and hard about her position. I've heard her position from others, which is: 'Get out of Iraq now.' And it would be a mistake for the security of this country and the ability to lay the foundations for peace in the long run if we were to do so."
Prior to going on a bicycle ride on his Texas ranch on August 13, 2005 Bush gave journalists and aides a defense of his not meeting with Sheehan stating, as reported by Ken Herman of Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises
Cox Enterprises is the successor to the publishing company founded in Dayton, Ohio, United States, by James Middleton Cox, who began with the Dayton Daily News. He was the Democratic candidate for the President of the United States in the election of 1920...
:
- "I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say. But I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life ... I think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy. And part of my being is to be outside exercising. So I'm mindful of what goes on around me. On the other hand, I'm also mindful that I've got a life to live and will do so."
Sheehan later issued a statement, which among other things outlined the purpose of the protest.
Beyond Sheehan
When Sheehan had to go to Los Angeles on August 18, after her 74-year-old mother suffered a stroke, she said she would be back when she could and that she would follow Bush to Washington at the end of his vacation. "Camp Casey" remained active in her absence, with over 150 protesters sleeping in tents or cars , and hundreds more participating sporadically. During this time, Bush flew to another state to continue his vacation with a fishing trip. Less than two days later (still during the scheduled vacation), he and his administration began a new public relations campaign to rally support for the war in Iraq. The campaign was primarily set in Idaho and Utah.Support
During Sheehan's vigil, a number of organizations and individuals expressed and provided support to the activists at "Camp Casey." One of these was the national organization Veterans for PeaceVeterans for Peace
Veterans For Peace is a United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female US military veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The...
, at whose convention Sheehan spoke just prior to beginning her vigil in Crawford. Members of the organization also assisted at the "Camp Casey" site, installing and maintaining the Arlington West
Arlington West
For the documentary of the same name, see Arlington West: The Film.Arlington West refers to two closely related projects, both of which are intended to draw public attention to, and to open a discourse on the subject of both military and civilian deaths during the invasion and occupation of Iraq...
display there.
The website MoveOn.org announced on August 10, 2005 that it was gathering comments via email to place in a two-page newspaper spread in a Sunday edition of the Waco Tribune newspaper in support of Sheehan and her efforts. MoveOn gathered more than 250,000 comments, many of which were included in the advertisement. Tom Matzzie of MoveOn said:
- "In her grief and bravery, Cindy has become a symbol for millions of Americans who demand better answers about the Iraq war. Though right-wing punditsPundit (politics)A pundit is someone who offers to mass media his or her opinion or commentary on a particular subject area on which they are knowledgeable. The term has been increasingly applied to popular media personalities...
have attacked her personally, her honesty is unimpeachable. Now more and more mothers (and fathers, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, sons and daughters) are standing up with Cindy. Please join us, and together, we'll make sure that President Bush can't escape the realityRealityIn philosophy, reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or might be imagined. In a wider definition, reality includes everything that is and has been, whether or not it is observable or comprehensible...
of this war—even in Crawford, Texas."
Supporters pointed out that the Crawford protest highlighted the Bush administration's belief in selective violence and the claim that the President failed to take responsibility for the deaths of those he commanded.
On the week of August 8, 2005 several other groups were reported traveling to Texas to join the protest. Sherry Bohlen, field director of the Progressive Democrats of America
Progressive Democrats of America
The Progressive Democrats of America is a progressive political organization and grassroots political action committee operating inside the United States Democratic Party.-History:...
(PDA), was one person traveling to Crawford, and said of the protest:
- "We'll be sleeping in a tent in the ditch along the roadside (the only place that the authorities will allow us to be). I spoke with Cindy by phone again yesterday. She said that local authorities have told her that if we're still there by Thursday we'll be arrested as "national security risks"... She could well be the Rosa ParksRosa ParksRosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....
of the movement against the Iraq War. Just as Rosa refused to leave the bus, Cindy is refusing to leave the roadside. She's the spark that is igniting the anti-war movement."
On August 9, 2005, Sheehan began writing a blog concerning (among other things) her experience at Camp Casey, her thoughts on the Iraq War, and her response to right-wing criticism of her. It was featured on several websites, including The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Michael Moore.com.
She spoke at the laissez-faire Ludwig von Mises Institute
Ludwig von Mises Institute
The Ludwig von Mises Institute , based in Auburn, Alabama, is a libertarian academic organization engaged in research and scholarship in the fields of economics, philosophy and political economy. Its scholarship is inspired by the work of Austrian School economist Ludwig von Mises...
, whose founder and president, the free-market capitalist Lew Rockwell
Lew Rockwell
Llewellyn Harrison "Lew" Rockwell, Jr. is an American libertarian political commentator, activist, proponent of the Austrian School of economics, and chairman of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.-Life and work:...
, regularly features Sheehan's columns on his website.
Parents of other troops killed in Iraq
On August 17, 2005, Jane and Jim Bright, parents of slain Army Sgt. Evan Ashcroft, attended a vigil in support of Sheehan, saying "their son's memory would not be lost in the anti-war movement." They also said their son, like Sheehan's son, "was a hero who died for what he believed in." Jim Bright went on to say "People are looking inside themselves and saying, is this war worth it?" .Celeste Zappala, mother of slain Sgt. Sherwood Baker, the first Pennsylvania National Guardsman to die in Iraq, said, at a press conference at the Crawford site: "When we buried Sherwood, I knelt down beside his coffin and I vowed to him I will speak the truth for him. This war is a disaster. It is a betrayal of our military. And it's a betrayal of the democracy they seek to protect." "I think they have absolutely no idea what they're doing, I think we're getting to the point where normal, reasonable people are starting to see that. The war has to stop. We don't want anyone else killed. We're here to support the troops, to bring them home now, alive. ... My little piece in all this was to say, 'We've got to tell the truth.'"
Minnesota State Senator Becky Lourey, a vocal critic of the Iraq War, and mother of fallen Army helicopter pilot Matthew Lourey, traveled to Crawford to protest Bush's refusal to meet with Sheehan. "There is an isolation here of President Bush from the people," said Lourey. "(and)it seems to me as I am looking around that it is wrong, that a person who makes life and death decisions is insulated from the people who suffer the consequences of those decisions". She also traveled to Crawford to grieve and support her fellow military parent, stating that she wanted to "put her arms around" Sheehan and offer her support.
Lynn Bradach, mother of Marine Cpl. Travis Bradach-Nall, who died from a land mine explosion in Iraq during the summer of 2004, travelled from Portland, Oregon to Crawford to join Sheehan in her vigil. "'I don’t want to be a center of anything,' said Bradach. 'But when you strongly believe something, at some point you have to stand up for it."
Karen Meredith, whose son, Army Lt. Ken Ballard, was killed in Iraq in May 2004,, defended Sheehan, saying, "Some people are trying to paint her as one crazy woman against the war, and she’s not. A lot of people feel like her and want to know what the noble cause is."
Linda Ryan, mother of Corporal Marc T. Ryan, a Marine who was killed in Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
, says of Sheehan: "She's going about this not realizing how many people she's hurting. When she refers to anyone killed in Iraq, she's referring to my son. She doesn't have anything to say about what happened to my son,"
On August 15, 2005, Matt and Toni Matula, parents of Matthew Matula, a Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Marine killed in Iraq, requested that the white cross representing their dead son as a victim of the war in Iraq be removed, stating that they did not wish their son's name to be part of an anti-war demonstration. Mr. Matula said: "It's fine for people to grieve their own way. It aggravates me to see them using other people's names to further their cause."
Natalie Healy, mother of Dan Healy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in the line of duty in Afghanistan, organized a rally on August 20, 2005 in Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
in order to counteract Sheehan's message, stating: "We just want to let the fellas know that we’re supporting them and that we’re not going to wimp out on them."
Gary Qualls whose son, Marine Corporal Louis Wayne Qualls died in Iraq, started what was dubbed "Fort Qualls
Fort Qualls
Fort Qualls refers to the pro-Bush encampment near US President George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, which launched a demonstration to counter "Camp Casey" in downtown Crawford....
" in Crawford, Texas to counter the "Camp Casey" protests. Qualls stated that he had to keep taking down the white cross bearing his son's name from the Arlington West display set up by "Camp Casey".
Other camps
That summer the "Camp Casey phenomenon" spread across America and camps were set up in hundreds of places to show sympathy for the Sheehan family. According to Cindy Sheehan, the first one erected was in Chico, CaliforniaChico, California
Chico is the most populous city in Butte County, California, United States. The population was 86,187 at the 2010 census, up from 59,954 at the time of the 2000 census...
. Sometimes thes camps were called "peace camps's" sometimes they were named after a local who had died while fighting overseas.
Week 1
- August 6, 2005: Cindy Sheehan started her demonstration. She makes a makeshift camp in a ditch by the side of the road about 3 miles from George W. Bush's Prairie Chapel RanchPrairie Chapel RanchPrairie Chapel Ranch is a 1,583 acre ranch in unincorporated McLennan County, Texas, located seven miles northwest of Crawford. The property was acquired by President George W...
near Crawford, TexasCrawford, TexasCrawford is a town located in western McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is best known as the home of former President of the United States George W. Bush. He currently resides at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, which is located just outside Crawford, Texas....
and announces her intention to stay (sleeping in a pup tent at nights) until she is granted another face-to-face meeting with the President. - August 6, 2005: National security adviser Stephen HadleyStephen HadleyStephen John Hadley was the 21st U.S. Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs , serving under President George W. Bush....
and deputy White House chief of staff Joe HaginJoe HaginJoseph Whitehouse Hagin II served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush from 2001 until the week of July 20, 2008. In September 2008, he was interim CEO of Jet Support Services Inc...
meet briefly with Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan later called the meeting "pointless." - August 8, 2005: Cindy Sheehan states that she has been informed that beginning Thursday, 10 August 2005 she and her companions will be considered a threat to national security and will be arrested. Later there was a retraction of the story by the Daily Kos. Sheehan's camp is first referred to in the media as "Camp Casey."
- August 9, 2005: Democratic congressmen request that Bush meet with Sheehan and the other relatives of fallen soldiers. The congressmen call on Bush to ensure that no one will be arrested for having a peaceful demonstration.
- August 10, 2005: Bush holds a press conference, during which he mentions Sheehan's right to her view.
- August 11, 2005: Cindy Sheehan writes an open letter to President Bush in response to his press conference statement. In this open letter, she demands to know the "noble cause" behind the war in Iraq, as well as the reason why, if the cause is so noble, Bush's daughters are not volunteering in the war effort.
- August 12, 2005: Gold Star Families for Peace releases a TV commercial featuring Cindy Sheehan, broadcast on Crawford and WacoWaco, TexasWaco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
cable channels near Bush's ranch. - August 12, 2005: Camp Casey protest draws hundreds of supporters (including actor Viggo MortensenViggo MortensenViggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
), with a constant presence of just over 100. - August 12, 2005: Southern California members of Veterans for PeaceVeterans for PeaceVeterans For Peace is a United States organization founded in 1985. Made up of male and female US military veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and other conflicts, as well as peacetime veterans, the group works to promote alternatives to war.-Foundation:The...
install Arlington WestArlington WestFor the documentary of the same name, see Arlington West: The Film.Arlington West refers to two closely related projects, both of which are intended to draw public attention to, and to open a discourse on the subject of both military and civilian deaths during the invasion and occupation of Iraq...
, a memorial consisting of nearly 1,000 white crosses (as well as stars and crescents), each bearing the name of a fallen U.S. soldier in Iraq, along the side of the road near Sheehan's camp. - August 12, 2005: Bush's motorcade passes within 100 feet of Sheehan's roadside encampment en route to a nearby ranch to attend a fundraising barbecue expected to raise US$2 million for the Republican National CommitteeRepublican National CommitteeThe Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...
; Sheehan holds a sign reading "Why do you make time for donors and not for me?" - August 12, 2005: Patrick Sheehan files for divorce from Cindy Sheehan in a California court. Mr. Sheehan was the father of Casey Sheehan.
Week 2
- August 13, 2005: A morning counter protest is reported to bring over 250 people, who shout pro-Bush slogans for several hours. Sherry Bohlen, National Field Director for PDA, estimates that 1000 to 1500 people gathered at a park in Crawford for a peace demonstration, and that 500 cars ferried these people to Camp Casey. (Source: Email from Bohlen to PDA members)
- August 14, 2005: Larry Mattlage, who owns a cattle ranch across where Sheehan has set up her protest site, fed up with traffic near his home, fires a shotgunShotgunA shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
several times into the air. He later claims to have been practicing for dove hunting season but also hints to reporters that the shots may also have been meant to drive off the protesters. - August 14, 2005: U.S. Representative Maxine WatersMaxine WatersMaxine Waters is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 29th district, serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
, as well as a group of Iraqis living in Texas, visit Sheehan at Camp Casey. - August 15, 2005: Late in the night, a pickup truck driven by Waco, Texas resident Larry NorthernLarry NorthernLarry Chad Northern is a Republican realtor and gun enthusiast from Waco, Texas. In August 2005 Northern was arrested and charged with criminal mischief after he drove his pickup truck through the Arlington West display of memorial crosses that had been set up at Camp Casey, the protest site...
tears through the rows of white crosses stretching about two-tenths of a mile along the side of the road at the Crawford camp, each bearing the name of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq. Several hundred of the crosses are damaged but no one is injured. Northern is later arrested and charged with criminal mischief by police. - August 16, 2005: Sheehan announces plans to move her camp closer to the Bush ranch after being offered the use of a piece of land owned by a supporter, Fred Mattlage, a third cousin of Larry Mattlage, the rancher who had fired a shotgun on his property near the demonstration site several days earlier.
- August 16, 2005: Move America ForwardMove America ForwardMove America Forward is a conservative political action group based in California that grew out of the campaign to recall California Governor Gray Davis. Move America Forward seeks to advance many conservative causes by lobbying of politicians at the local, state, and federal levels, through media...
announces a "You Don't Speak For Me, Cindy" caravan ending in Crawford, on August 27. - August 17, 2005: More than 1,600 anti-war candlelight vigils in support of Sheehan are held around the United States, including one outside the White House.
- August 18, 2005: Sheehan announces she is leaving Crawford to see her elderly mother, who had suffered a strokeStrokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
, but vows to return if possible and as soon as she can. - August 18, 2005: A walk is made by the Gold Star Mothers for Peace towards President Bush's ranch in Crawford to deliver letters written by them to First Lady Laura BushLaura BushLaura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
, appealing to her as a mother for support towards their movement.
Week 3
- August 20, 2005: President George W. Bush embarks on a five-day campaign to defend the Iraq war, speaking to veterans' and military groups in Utah and Idaho.
- August 20, 2005: Supporters of the Iraq war, led by Crawford small business owner Bill Johnson, set up a small opposing camp, named "Fort QuallsFort QuallsFort Qualls refers to the pro-Bush encampment near US President George W. Bush's Crawford, Texas, ranch, which launched a demonstration to counter "Camp Casey" in downtown Crawford....
," behind his "Yellow Rose" gift shop in Crawford, Texas. - August 20, 2005: Texas singer-songwriterSinger-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
James McMurtryJames McMurtryJames McMurtry is a Texas rock/Texas Country singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader and occasional actor...
and country musicCountry musicCountry music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
ian Steve EarleSteve EarleStephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
perform at Camp Casey II, followed by speeches by Rev. Peter Johnson, organizer and former staffer of the Southern Christian Leadership ConferenceSouthern Christian Leadership ConferenceThe Southern Christian Leadership Conference is an African-American civil rights organization. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr...
, and Rev. Joseph Lowery, preacher and co-founder of the SCLC. They introduce three African American mothers whose sons were killed in Iraq. - August 21, 2005: Folk singer Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
visits and performs at Camp Casey. - August 21, 2005: Bomb threat received at the "Yellow Rose" gift shop, owned by pro-Bush Crawford businessman Bill Johnson.
- August 22, 2005: Motorcycle rider clubs roll by in support of the pro-Bush camp.(http://www.archive.org/download/dn2005-0822/dn2005-0822-1_64kb.mp3 minutes 24-25)
- August 22, 2005: U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson LeeSheila Jackson LeeSheila Jackson Lee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1995. The district includes most of inner-city Houston. She is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life and education:...
(D-Texas) and actress Margot KidderMargot KidderMargaret Ruth "Margot" Kidder is a Canadian-born American actress. She is perhaps best known for playing Lois Lane in the four Superman movies opposite Christopher Reeve, a role that brought her to widespread recognition....
visit Camp Casey. - August 22, 2005: The Pro-Bush "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" caravan, sponsored by the Sacramento-based group Move America Forward, leaves from San Francisco for Crawford, Texas.
- August 22, 2005: Opponents of Sheehan set up "Camp Reality," located in a ditch across the road from Camp Casey.
- August 23, 2005: In brief remarks to reporters in DonnellyDonnelly, IdahoDonnelly is a city in rural Valley County, Idaho, United States. The population was 138 at the 2000 census, and was estimated to be 148 in 2007....
, IdahoIdahoIdaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, President George W. Bush states his opposition to Sheehan's call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. - August 24, 2005: President George W. Bush addresses military families in Nampa, IdahoNampa, IdahoNampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
and explains his reasons for being in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
: "We will stay on the offense. We'll complete our work in Afghanistan and Iraq. An immediate withdrawal of our troops in Iraq, or the broader Middle East, as some have called for, would only embolden the terrorists and create a staging ground to launch more attacks against America and free nations. So long as I'm the President, we will stay, we will fight, and we will win the war on terror... We're spreading the hope of freedom across the broader Middle East." - August 25, 2005: Sheehan states that she will continue her campaign against the Iraq war even if granted a second meeting with the President, and announces plans to lead a national bus tour to Washington, D.C., which will leave on September 1 and arrive in Washington on September 24 for three days of action against the war.
Week 4
- August 27, 2005: Conflicting estimates of between 1000 to 4000 Pro-Bush supporters rally in Crawford as part of the "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" caravan.
- August 27, 2005: Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
activist Russell MeansRussell MeansRussell Charles Means is an Oglala Sioux activist for the rights of Native American people. He became a prominent member of the American Indian Movement after joining the organisation in 1968, and helped organize notable events that attracted national and international media coverage...
visits Camp Casey II. - August 28, 2005: Actor and long-time peace activist Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
, who plays fictional Democratic President Josiah BartletJosiah BartletJosiah Edward "Jed" Bartlet is a fictional character played by Martin Sheen on the television serial drama The West Wing. He is President of the United States for the entire series until the last episode, when his successor is inaugurated...
on The West Wing, visits and speaks. - August 28, 2005: Rev. Al SharptonAl SharptonAlfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
visits Camp Casey II. - August 29, 2005: Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
, a Category 4 storm, makes landfall in southeastern LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. - August 29, 2005: Native American activist Dennis BanksDennis BanksDennis Banks , a Native American leader, teacher, lecturer, activist and author, is an Anishinaabe born on Leech Lake Indian Reservation in northern Minnesota. Banks is also known as Nowa Cumig...
visits Camp Casey II. - August 30, 2005: President Bush decides to end his five-week vacation early to focus on relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
See also
- American popular opinion of invasion of Iraq
- Support and opposition for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
- Popular opposition to war on Iraq
- Protests against the 2003 Iraq war
- Post–September 11 anti-war movement
- Movement to impeach George W. BushMovement to impeach George W. BushDuring the presidency of George W. Bush, several American politicians sought to either investigate Bush for allegedly impeachable offenses, or to bring actual impeachment charges on the floor of the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee...
External links
- Camp Casey PhotoBlog http://www.CampCaseyPhotoBlog.blogspot.com
- Camp Casey Photo Journal http://www.thephotojournals.com/RickWaldroup/Camp%20Casey/CampCasey_1.htm
Video & Audio
- Gold Star Families for Peace
- Democracy Now interview - 19 August 2005 transcript audio
- Democracy Now interview - 12 August 2005 transcript audio
- Democracy Now interview - 21 March 2005 transcript audio
- Democracy Now interview - 21 January 2005 transcript audio
- crawfordorbust.com From Air America website: Ernest Hancock and Mari Connor report from Crawford, Texas.
- The Ballad Of Camp Casey Hairy Larry sings his song, The Ballad Of Camp Casey, dedicated to Cindy Sheehan, her son Casey, and all who have suffered loss in Iraq. Creative Commons by-sa license
Interviews
Coverage
- Rush Limbaugh compares death of Casey Sheehan to "forged documents"
- Arrest In Texas Protest Cross-Up(Desecration of Camp Casey Article) - TheSmokingGun.com
- Cindy Sheehan's Pitched Battle - In a Tent Near Bush's Ranch, Antiwar Mother of Dead Soldier Gains Visibility Michael A. Fletcher, Washington Post 13 August 2005, Page A01
- Guardian Unlimited - Bereaved mother camps outside Bush ranch
- US Newswire - More to Join Sheehan
- CNN - Soldier's mom digs in near Bush ranch - 7 August 2005
- New York Times - "Of the Many Deaths in Iraq, One Mother's Loss Becomes a Problem for the President" (8 August 2005)
- New York Times - "Mother Takes Protest to Bush's Ranch" (7 August 2005)