Secret Service tries to run interference for Bush from Pro Peace Rally ~ Carlos and Melida speaking

Go listen to Carlos and Melida Arredondo speak New London, CT - Wed, May 23 - Be at Tampa & Mohegan Ave. by 9:00 am! Show King George who owns this country. Bush tries to hide from the citizens of his own nation. The are trying to shut down our voice from being heard but the masses grow. Each and every year more understand what has been done to us and done in our name.

I wish I could be with my friends. Survival in today's society doesn't allow me that option. I hope many show up, hold up signs and tell the King his days are numbered.

May PEACE be inside ALL of us,
Cindy

Turn up the Heat Campaign

George Bush can't hide from anti-war protests
Secret Service tries to run interference for Bush
New London, CT - Wed, May 23 - Be at Tampa & Mohegan Ave. by 9:00 am!

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Background

Momentum is building for the Wednesday, May 23 Protest Bush Rally at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, where President Bush is the commencement speaker. People will be gathering at 9:00 am at the main gate at Tampa and Mohegan Ave.

Contingents are coming from Hartford, New Haven, New York City, Willimantic, Mystic, Boston, Cape Cod, New Paltz, NY, Portland, ME, and many other cities and towns. Iraq war veterans, military & family members, other veterans, the Arab American & Muslim community, students & youth, and many others will be speaking at the rally (see below for a partial speakers list).

Today (Monday), the ImpeachBush.org movement led by former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark ran an ad in the Hartford Courant announcing that the impeachment and anti-war movements have joined forces for the May 23 Protest Bush Rally. The Courant is read by more than 200,000 people throughout Connecticut and New England.

This has been a tremendous mobilization. We couldn't have done it without your help. If you cannot attend but can help by making a financial contribution, click this link to make a tax-deductible donation or learn how to send a check.

Knowing full well that opposition to the war is increasing and that many organizations and communities are coming to New London, Connecticut on May 23, the Bush administration is hoping to sanitize the area so that anti-Bush, anti-war and pro-impeachment signs are not visible. The Secret Service is functioning as the private political security for the Bush administration and using "national security" as the pretext once again to attempt to banish dissent from the USCGA.

We have seen the Bush administration use this tactic before. During the 2004 election campaign, security was used as a pretext to evict anyone with anti-Bush buttons, t-shirts or signs from campaign rallies. At the Republican National Convention in August 2004, the government attempted to banish mass protest from midtown Manhattan. And then at the inauguration in January 2005, the Bush administration tried to keep dissent off of the inaugural route.

But on all of these occasions we challenged violations of our First Amendment rights, and we succeeded. Protests were held along the campaign trail, right outside of the RNC and on the inaugural route. In every instance, "security" is used to cover the reality: Bush is afraid of the political embarrassment of anti-war protesters being everywhere that he is because he knows that opposition to the war only continues to grow.

Now, the government is attempting to use national security as a pretext to avoid the political embarrassment of large numbers of people holding up antiwar signs and banners directly in front of the Coast Guard Academy grounds. On Friday, the Secret Service decided that the area that has a direct view of the USCGA would be off limits to anti-war demonstrators. They also announced that roads throughout the area - including the I-95 Gold Star bridge used to travel into New London from the north and the I-95 north route over the bridge - will be shut down mid-morning, thus trying to limit people's ability to access the other permitted area by car and possibly by foot.

The government would happily give people a permit to be anywhere other than right outside of the USCGA. We must not be diverted. We can defeat their attempt to banish visible dissent because we know their tactic well.

The best way to do that is to be at Tampa and Mohegan Ave. at 9:00 am with your friends, family, co-workers and fellow students. We have a permit for this area. This is where the local, national and international media will be. This is where anti-war activists from throughout Connecticut, New England and the Mid-Atlantic will be. If you come directly to the main gate of the USCGA by 9:00 am you will be able to access it before roads are closed.

This week, we will be waging a challenge that asserts the right of the people to rally in all of the areas in front of the USCGA. The street in front of the Coast Guard Academy is not the exclusive, private property of Bush administration or government officials.

We want to make it clear to everyone that we have obtained permitted space on the side of the USCGA along Mohegan Ave. between Tampa and Williams. You have the lawful right to come to Coast Guard Academy to make your views known, seen and heard. We will continue to fight restrictions on the other permitted areas - and work to ensure that everyone can access the areas for which we definitely have permits.

Please make sure you spread the message far and wide that anyone who wants to protest Bush and show the world that the people of the U.S. are against this war should come right to the USCGA by 9:00 am on Wednesday to ensure that you don't miss this important event and that you are right there when he gives his commencement address.

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Rally speakers

Speakers at the 9:00 am rally at the main gate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (Tampa and Mohegan Ave.) will include military families who have lost children in Iraq, veterans, anti-war and student movement leaders and more.

Speakers will include:

• Carlos and Melida Arredondo, whose son, a U.S. marine, was killed in Iraq in 2004
• Elliot Adams, President of Veterans for Peace
• Ted Goodnight, US Army veteran of the Afghanistan war who served in 2003 and 2004
• The College Faculty, organizer of a large contingent of Connecticut college faculty mobilizing for the protest
• Representatives of Veterans for Peace chapters from throughout the region
• Brian Becker, National Coordinator of the ANSWER Coalition
• Eugene Puryear, National Organizer of Youth and Student ANSWER
• Connecticut Student Movement leaders
• Statements from Iraq Veterans Against the War and active duty soldiers organizing for withdrawal of American forces and bases from Iraq.

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Logistics

New London, CT - Wed, May 23
Be at Tampa & Mohegan Ave. by 9:00 am!

Logistical information: maps, directions & more.

Transportation Information

Honor the "right kind" of military on Memorial Day

I shake my head all the time when I come across the other side of the divide. Here I am sipping on my coffee - reading - and I come across this letter to the editor from Poughkeepse Journal.com

Take the time to honor the heroes in military

Memorial Day is a celebration of those who have sacrificed for us and a show of appreciation to their families

People like Cindy Sheehan and the self-serving politicians are always with us. They are self-absorbed attention seekers. How would Sheehan’s son feel to see his mother dishonor his memory?

We firmly believe if these heroes had not volunteered to serve our country, another tragedy bigger than 9/11 would have already been delivered. We probably cannot escape the madness of those who want to destroy us. That we have escaped so far is due to the efforts of these heroes.

A death by friendly fire is a wartime risk and, sad as it is, it is an honorable sacrifice.
Patriotism is a blessing; take time to think of and pray for our military personnel. Let their families know they are appreciated and remembered always.

Tobi & Marion Cantwell
Poughkeepsie

WOW, I just can't believe I just read that. Honor some military families but not the ones who don't believe like you. And if we aren't fighting them over there they will come here to kill us. The only thing Tobi & Marion Cantwell got right was patriotism is a blessing. Except our all volunteer military are being asked to do things they shouldn't be doing. They are giving up their lives for false freedom. And once they join the military there is no way they are getting out.

I listened to "The Ring of Fire" yesterday.

The U.S. military is redeploying seriously injured soldiers to fight in Iraq. Mark Benjamin of Salon.com relates what he witnessed at the Army's Third Infantry division in Fort Benning, Georgia.

They were talking about all the soldiers who are being sent back on thier second, third and sometimes fourth tour of duty and many who have physical injurys, head injuries, breathing problems. Many of these "kids" don't want to return. - we should be fighting them there so we don't fight them here - BULL SHIT! I say - I'll take my chances. Bring our troops home now!

The other side of the divide always uses fear and 9/11 to control. Right there is where they start off by being wrong. Nine eleven and Iraq have NOTHING to do with one another. The lies that have been told about that day are crazy and that people still use 9/11 and Iraq in the same breath are insane. If the other side of the divide would just look at the evidence of that day they will see who they should fear and it's not the Iraqi people. And I wish someone would show me the plane that hit the pentagon.

Just show me one plane part - just one!

Tobi & Marion Cantwell, stop living in fear and we can bring our troops home. And Cindy Sheehan is doing more for fighting for our freedoms than our military are doing in Iraq. But you don't like her and want her to go away. She is fighting them here so we don't have to fight them there. I wonder how much killing is ok with you. As long as it isn't your death, right?

YES, do take time to honor our fallen heros on Memorial Day. Many have died for our freedom. Many more have died because of the love of power and money. Still, they give their lives for ours. They are HERO's!

May PEACE be inside ALL of us so we don't add to the numbers on Memorial Day,
Cindy

Soldier’s wife censored

Elizabeth Verbich-Britton doesn’t think for a minute that her opinion on the Iraq war is any more valuable than any other American’s. But because her husband is a soldier in Iraq, it’s a bit more personal for her.

So, when her landlord forced her to remove her “U.S. Out of Iraq Now!” poster from her bedroom window, she was incensed.

“The sign was up for about a month,” she said during an interview at her apartment on East 10th Street. “I heard nothing from anyone about it, and then all of a sudden I got a letter from Woodbridge management saying I had to take the sign out of my window. And of course I was angry right away.”

From an Angry Soldier

I just saw this on craigslist.org. Thought I would share with you.
Peace inside,
Cindy

From an Angry Soldier

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Date: 2007-04-10, 1:00PM PDT


I'm having the worst damn week of my whole damn life so I'm going to write this while I'm pissed off enough to do it right.

I am SICK of all this bullshit people are writing about the Iraq war. I am abso-fucking-lutely sick to death of it. What the fuck do most of you know about it? You watch it on TV and read the commentaries in the newspaper or Newsweek or whatever god damn yuppie news rag you subscribe to and think you're all such fucking experts that you can scream at each other like five year old about whether you're right or not. Let me tell you something: unless you've been there, you don't know a god damn thing about it. It you haven't been shot at in that fucking hell hole, SHUT THE FUCK UP!

How do I dare say this to you moronic war supporters who are "Supporting our Troops" and waving the flag and all that happy horse shit? I'll tell you why. I'm a Marine and I served my tour in Iraq. My husband, also a Marine, served several. I left the service six months ago because I got pregnant while he was home on leave and three days ago I get a visit from two men in uniform who hand me a letter and tell me my husband died in that fucking festering sand-pit. He should have been home a month ago but they extended his tour and now he's coming home in a box.

You fuckers and that god-damn lying sack of shit they call a president are the reason my husband will never see his baby and my kid will never meet his dad.

And you know what the most fucked up thing about this Iraq shit is? They don't want us there. They're not happy we came and they want us out NOW. We fucked up their lives even worse than they already were and they're pissed off. We didn't help them and we're not helping them now. That's what our soldiers are dying for.

Oh while I'm good and worked up, the government doesn't even have the decency to help out the soldiers whos lives they ruined. If you really believe the military and the government had no idea the veterans' hospitals were so fucked up, you are a god-damn retard. They don't care about us. We're disposable. We're numbers on a page and they'd rather forget we exist so they don't have to be reminded about the families and lives they ruined while they're sipping their cocktails at another fund raiser dinner. If they were really concerned about supporting the troops, they'd bring them home so their families wouldn't have to cry at a graveside and explain to their children why mommy or daddy isn't coming home. Because you can't explain it. We're not fighting for our country, we're not fighting for the good of Iraq's people, we're fighting for Bush's personal agenda. Patriotism my ass. You know what? My dad served in Vietnam and NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

So I'm pissed. I'm beyond pissed. And I'm going to go to my husband funeral and recieve that flag and hang it up on the wall for my baby to see when he's older. But I'm not going to tell him that his father died for the stupidty of the American government. I'm going to tell him that his father was a hero and the best man I ever met and that he loved his country enough to die for it, because that's all true and nothing will be solved by telling my son that his father was sent to die by people who didn't care about him at all.

Fuck you, war supporters, George W. Bush, and all the god damn mother fuckers who made the war possible. I hope you burn in hell.

Morgan and Move America Forward are no better than the KKK

Melanie Morgan is one of the biggest drum beaters for the other side of the divide. Her and the group she belongs to, Move America Forward, are some of the most hate filled selfish people in our country. They believe they come first before any other. If you don't believe as they do your not being an American. They are the true Americans in their eyes.

This "award winning" (as she calls herself) reporter, Morgan, can write about so much hate. I'm amazed all the time what she spews. You have to read her latest.

Despite Sen. Harry Reid's determination that the United States has lost the war in Iraq, our troops are still dug in like there's real hope. What are these guys thinking? Do they believe America, the world's only super power, has a real chance to beat a rag-tag group of terrorists who hide in caves and use cell-phone batteries and children's toys in their high-tech war on the West?
......

Many pro-troop, pro-American and pro-defense groups are still very much alive and thriving, but the liberal media are largely ignoring our efforts. They pretend our voices don't matter because the polls say we are in the minority. Despite their phony claims of giving voice to minority opinions, the media have turned their backs on any idea that doesn't fit their template of this "lost" war.

A reporter from the UK wanted to do an article about both sides of the divide. It was hard for him to find a group who supports the PNAC and their invasion in Iraq. As Morgan states in her article, there aren't many people that think like them. After the reporter found out about Morgan and her group his choice was not to include some of their statements in his article. Because he did this Morgan is calling him "liberal media" and whining how she can't get her message out to the masses.

Being American is having freedoms of all kinds. Freedom and choices within the society we live in at the time. Everyone get's to have their voice heard. All walks of life are allowed to exist here. Just because someone doesn't think like you doesn't mean they don't have a right to exist as your neighbor or that they aren't an American. I may not like anything about the KKK but I do accept their right to exist. I only hope they stay small as a group. Most people realize hating someone because of the color of their skin is so wrong. Still there are a few who do. Most people realize what we have done in Iraq is wrong. When you do something wrong you try to make it right. Most Americans realize this except a very few who want to use fear to control masses. Iraq can not be won because we were wrong to invade the country in the first place. This was not done because of 9/11. It was done by the PNAC who wanted to control that part of the world and their oil. They wanted to make grand oil profits and they have.

We can no longer be a presence in Iraq. The longer we stay, the more hate we breed in their youth. The youth who have to live with death and destruction daily. Imagine if our kids had to live they way the Iraqi kids are growing up with. Imagine the hate our kids would have with the people doing this to them. Morgan and her group do not understand this. They only understand "there going to kill us if we don't kill them". Don't kill them and they won't want to come kill you. Our actions have reactions. Since the 1950's we have been doing wrong in the middle east. Now we are receiving the reactions to those actions many years ago. How much worst does Morgan and her crowd want this to get for our children in their future. Does she want to create so much hate we destroy the world?

Good job Mr Benson, reporter from the UK, for not spewing the crap Morgan and her group Move America Forward put out. They can try all they want to get their hate message out, just like the KKK. We have a choice how long and far we'll let their message travel. But, just like the KKK when you start hearing these people speak you realize how crazy they are.

May PEACE be inside ALL of us ~ for our children and their future,
Cindy


Mahablog has more and video of Morgan spewing her crap on PBS. She's won't be invited back. Actions have reactions Ms. Morgan.

VoteVets.org is winning over prowar Move America Forward

This is a very good article about both sides of the divide.

Here in Broward County less then half of the people who live here are registered to vote. Out of those half maybe 30% show up to vote. If people did get involved with their freedom, I believe you would find there are more people who don't support this war as apposed to those who do. I believe it would be more like 10% of our population agree with the White House instead of the 35% they always talk about. The sleeping nation is waking up. We need to make them stand up and "fight for their freedom" by voting.

It's all about "We the People". The other side of the divide is a small group.

Enjoy your moments and think about those who live in fear.
May PEACE be inside ALL of us,
Cindy

Anti-War coalition winning fight
By: Jeanne Cummings

A group of former military leaders who have lost faith in President Bush's war leadership launched their second round of television advertisements this week targeting House and Senate Republicans whose 2008 reelections could hinge on the public's view of Iraq.

To fight back, a pro-war group plans to post an Internet ad on Thursday accusing Democratic leaders of abandoning the war on terrorism. If they can raise enough money on the Internet, the ad could air on television later.

The striking imbalance of power between the competing Iraq advocacy teams offers a stark illustration of how isolated President Bush and his White House team have become on the signature issue of his administration.

Bush's weakened position explains why Congress has been willing to repeatedly challenge the White House on paying for the war.

In previous showdowns with Democrats, the White House could count on a united Republican caucus to rally around its position, deep-pocketed allies to finance attacks against critics and closely coordinated grass-roots lobbying efforts with friendly outside organizations.

Now divisions over future Iraq policy and distraction caused by the early start of the 2008 presidential campaign appear to have broken what once was the Bush White House juggernaut.

The president is on defense, trying to avoid making major concessions to an undaunted Democratic Congress. The White House's most effective communicator on Capitol Hill hails from the Pentagon, not the West Wing.

The formidable network of talk show hosts and conservative grass-roots organizations that once could bully opponents into silence are now either no-shows or not effective. And the party's congressional campaign committees charged with protecting House and Senate incumbents are either too badly in debt or too pressed to save campaign cash to put up a defense.

The upshot is an extraordinarily uneven competition for public opinion that has put Republican members of Congress on the run and boosted Democratic hopes of broadening their majorities in the House and Senate and capturing the White House in 2008.

According to a recent Associated Press-Ipsos poll, 64 percent of Americans disapprove of President Bush's handling of the war while just 33 percent approve of it. The president's overall job approval rating, meanwhile, hovers around 35 percent in a variety of polls.

"We are creating a toxic environment for Republicans and the war. They can choose between ending the war and political extinction," said Tom Matzzie, Washington director for the liberal online group MoveOn.org, who is now helping to coordinate the anti-war coalition's tactical efforts.

Certainly, the president is not without his own weapons -- most notably the veto pen. And despite growing misgivings among Republicans on Capitol Hill, the majority of the party's base remains supportive of the war effort.

But a close look at the tactics each side is using to press their case on the supplemental spending bill highlights the lopsided nature of the Iraq lobbying campaign that would define the debate for the 2008 elections.

In the White House's corner is Move America Forward, a California-based organization formed in 2004 by Republican political consultant Sal Russo and former Republican state Assemblyman Howard Kaloogian, both of whom were key players in the 2003 recall of former Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat.

According to Robert Dixon, the organization's executive director, Move America has an e-mail list of slightly fewer than a million people and counts "a few hundred thousand" small donors. Internal Revenue Service records show that the organization raised $647,000 in 2006.

The group fought against the distribution of Michael Moore's anti-war film "Fahrenheit 9/11" and launched the "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy!" campaign countering the war protests of Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq.

Recently, Move America Forward sponsored a pro-war, cross-country caravan that ended with a modest rally in Washington. On Thursday, it plans to launch its second Internet ad, which criticizes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for holding up funding for the war.

It's also calling on members to send white feathers to the Democratic leaders and for protesters carrying white flags to gather outside their offices in California and Nevada, respectively.

Dixon said the West Coast organization is developing its projects without guidance from the White House. For its first round of advertising, the group managed to collect enough money to put a commercial on cable stations.

"It's very rare when we hear from anybody in the White House," he said. "They've been largely silent." As for his adversaries, he concedes: "They are a tightly knit group that seems to have their act together."

In addition to Move America Forward, established veterans' organizations and several groups founded by military families are also trying to rally support for the president's war policies.

But those groups are tiny and have mostly a symbolic impact. House Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio recently touted receipt of a petition from a new group called Appeal for Courage that was signed by about 3,000 pro-Bush soldiers, most serving in Iraq; MoveOn.org needed just a week to gather 167,000 signatures on a petition opposing the president.

About 14 anti-war groups have organized as Americans Against Escalation in Iraq and raised $7 million toward their budget of $12 million. Combined, they represent millions of activists, including the 3.3 million members of MoveOn.org, nearly 2 million labor union members and thousands of clergy, veterans, students and even musicians who have joined the movement.

They've held hundreds of rallies and candlelight vigils protesting the war at virtually every stage. Since the November elections, in which anti-war candidates scored surprising upsets over incumbent Republicans, they've sharpened their attacks to target specific Republicans.

VoteVets.org, a group of retired military leaders who oppose the war, aired its first ad a week ago in the home states of Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, John Sununu of New Hampshire and Norm Coleman of Minnesota.

The commercial, fueled with a half-million dollars' worth of ad time, also was broadcast in the districts of House Reps. Jim Walsh of New York, Mary Bono of California, Mike Castle of Delaware, Phil English of Pennsylvania and many others. VoteVets' second commercial began airing this week. It accuses the president of refusing to listen to his military commanders and urges Congress to stand tough.

The anti-war coalition is also running national ads. MoveOn paid for the cable news airing of one produced by Oliver Stone.

It also has tapped labor's vast telephone banking resources, calling tens of thousands of constituents in targeted districts and informing them of how their representative voted on war issues. When they reach a receptive listener, they can patch the local voter straight through to the member's office to register a complaint.

The tactics have rattled the entire GOP caucus and help explain why about a dozen House moderates recently told Bush that his Iraq policy was damaging the Republican Party and threatening any possible comeback in 2008. Among the early-warning crew in the White House meeting were four targets of the VoteVets ad campaigns.

Our military "Fighting for Freedom" and getting NONE/ Making Friends

The White House is breaking the military. They are now taking away their online freedom. I guess their afraid of the truth getting out so they have to shut down the truth. Distort the facts so others will kill for you.

We as a nation - 78% are against the invasion in Iraq and want our aggression to stop. You do bad, you get bad. You do good, you get good. We have choices. We've done a lot of bad in the past which is why others want to destroy us. We have to start doing good, get out of Iraq, and we will start walking down the path of peace. We must not retreat back to our world largest embassy and military bases- we must retreat out of the country.

How can we expect not to get our asses kicked when we go around kicking world asses? It's all in our choice...

May PEACE be inside ALL of us,
Cindy

Defense Department blocks some Web sites

By Robert Weller / Associated Press

DENVER - Soldiers serving overseas will lose some of their online links to friends and loved ones back home under a Department of Defense policy that a high-ranking Army official said would take effect Monday.

The Defense Department will begin blocking access "worldwide" to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other popular Web sites on its computers and networks, according to a memo sent Friday by Gen. B.B. Bell, the U.S. Forces Korea commander.

The policy is being implemented to protect information and reduce drag on the department's networks, according to Bell.

"This recreational traffic impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational security challenge," the memo said.

The armed services have long barred members of the military from sharing information that could jeopardize their missions or safety, whether electronically or by other means.

The new policy is different because it creates a blanket ban on several sites used by military personnel to exchange messages, pictures, video and audio with family and friends.

Members of the military can still access the sites on their own computers and networks, but Defense Department computers and networks are the only ones available to many soldiers and sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iraqi insurgents or their supporters have been posting videos on YouTube at least since last fall. The Army recently began posting videos on YouTube showing soldiers defeating insurgents and befriending Iraqis.

But the new rules mean many military personnel won't be able to watch those achievements — at least not on military computers.

If the restrictions are intended to prevent soldiers from giving or receiving bad news, they could also prevent them from providing positive reports from the field, said Noah Shachtman, who runs a national security blog for Wired Magazine.

"This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets," he said. "And they are muzzling their best voices."

The sites covered by the ban are the video-sharing sites YouTube, Metacafe, IFilm, StupidVideos, and FileCabi, the social networking sites MySpace, BlackPlanet and Hi5, music sites Pandora, MTV, and 1.fm, and live365, and the photo-sharing site Photobucket.

Several companies have instituted similar bans, saying recreational sites drain productivity.

Iran lawmakers seek U.S. friendship

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press

Iranian deputies were gathering signatures to try and form an Iranian-U.S. friendship committee in parliament to hold contacts with the U.S. Congress, legislators involved in the effort said Tuesday.

It was the first effort organized by parliament to find a way to bridge nearly three decades of estrangement between the U.S. and Iran. It comes days after the governments of the two countries agreed to hold direct talks on one of the main issues dividing them — the conflict in Iraq.

Darioush Ghanbari, one of at least 10 deputies who has signed the document calling for the establishment of the committee, said Iranian parliamentarians were seeking to reduce tensions with America and "explain Iran's realities to the U.S. Congress."

The document had signatures from both conservatives and reformists and more signatures from the 290-member legislature were expected by the end of the day, Ghanbari said.

"In the absence of formal diplomatic relations, we seek to establish a parliamentary relationship with the U.S. Congress and fill the existing gap of contacts between the two nations," Ghanbari, a pro-reform lawmaker, told The Associated Press.

No specific number of deputies is required to form such a committee. The document signed by lawmakers will be presented to the parliament's speaker, who has the right to accept or reject it.

It was unclear what he would do. The speaker is Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, a close associate of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who holds final say in all matters in Iran. Haddad Adel is considered a relative moderate among the conservatives and hard-liners who make up Iran's top leadership, and it is likely he would consult with Khamenei before taking any decision.

Washington severed diplomatic ties with Tehran after Iranian militant students stormed its embassy in Tehran in 1979, to protest America's refusal to hand over Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi for trial.

Ever since, talk of ties with the United States has long been a taboo among Iran's hard-line clerical leadership. Hard-liners stymied cautious efforts by reformists in the late 1990s to open up contacts with Americans — though the leadership has condoned occasional talks on specific issues with Washington.

One hard-line lawmaker, Saeed Aboutaleb, denounced the effort to create the friendship committee, saying Tuesday, "the nation will strike the mouth of these lawmakers."

Khamenei's stance on the committee was not known. But Iran's acceptance of ambassador-level talks with the U.S. on improving Iraq's security could be a sign the supreme leader sees the need for contact with the United States amid the two countries' escalating tensions.

The United States accuses Iran of fueling Iraq's violence by backing militants there, a charge Iran denies. Tehran, in turn, says the U.S. troop presence in Iraq is the cause of the country's turmoil. Washington and its allies also accuse Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons — a charge Iran also denies — and the United Nations has imposed limited sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.

The Iraqi government — which is backed by the United States but also close to Iran — has pushed for the two countries to end their disputes.

Proponents of the friendship committee said it could help avert anti-Iranian legislation by the U.S. Congress.

"If (Iranian) government officials are reconciling with Americans, why can't the Iranian nation reconcile with the American people?" said Jalal Hosseini, another Iranian reformist lawmaker who signed the petition.

"We are seeking to form this friendship committee to undermine anti-Iran policies of the Bush administration and show our good will and our peace-loving spirits," he said.

Cindy Sheehan on Kent State and Bill O'Reilly

'Kent State 37 Years Later' ...by Cindy Sheehan

This is the keynote address Cindy gave on May 04, 2007, at the commemoration of the Kent State Massacre.

First of all, I would just like to say that I am not only in favor of impeaching George Bush and Dick Cheney, but of trying them for war crimes and locking them both up in Guantánamo for the rest of their lives! I also agree with Tom (Hayden) that an "anti-war" movement is basically a self-destructive movement, because when our objectives are achieved, the movement is over. That is why we must call ourselves a "peace" movement so our movement will never end. There will always be a need for people who commit their lives to peace as strenuously as they commit their lives to the anti-war movement.

I can't begin to tell you how honored I am to have been invited here to speak on this historic occasion with the other speakers who have also felt the sting of war and the pain of loss and lingering regrets. I am indescribably moved to be adopted into the Kent State family and invite you all down to Camp Casey in Crawford this August to join our family!

Before the program started I took the chance to climb the hill and spend time at the places where Allison Krauss, Jeff Miller, Bill Schroeder and Sandy Scheuer each fell and I would like to share some thoughts that I had up there with you.

My first thought was of the randomness of violence. The four students who were killed that day just happened to occupy the same space as a National Guard bullet at the same time. Unlike those wounded, some pretty badly, those that perished that awful day were struck by the bullets in vitally important parts of their bodies. The places where the four fell, never to get up again, are marked in memoriam to the stupidity and permanence of violence. One day, I hope to travel to Sadr City, Baghdad to see and stand in the spot where my son, Casey's, brain collided with an insurgent's bullet, taking his life by the same shapeless and dark entity that stole the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, on the same day: April 04.

This same entity took the lives of the young people here thirty-seven years ago, and at: Jackson State a few days later, Virginia Tech, Columbine High School, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and the myriad of South American countries that the USA has violently intruded in over the years. This thing, this force is hatred fueled by ignorance; hatred exploited by the corporate war machine and hatred perpetuated by the corporate prostitutes that run our government. Hatred that is systemic and endemic in our society because we don't see the other side as human—or we see our "enemies" as less human than ourselves. Kent State is not the first place that bottles, sticks, and rocks have been met with bullets and tear gas---it happens still notably to our Palestinian brothers and sisters and before in Northern Ireland among other places where people are oppressed.

I am sure when the students at Kent State were met with the Ohio National Guard many years ago they only saw riot gear and the faces of "the man." I just hung up the phone with a Vietnam combat veteran who at the time had just returned from a tour of duty in 'Nam. He recalled being ashamed and disgusted that he wore the same uniform as the National Guard who slaughtered the students. Soldiers do have hearts and souls and especially during the Vietnam quagmire many of them understood that their government was, as Martin Luther King Jr had said three years and one month before the slaughter here, "the biggest perpetrator of violence."

I am also equally sure that the National Guard troops did not see the students who were their age, their color, their nationality, as their brothers and sisters. Being so far away they could not look in the eyes of the young people they were about to murder and see the heart-light there that matched their own.

Just as in My Lai, Haditha, Fallujah, etc, no one was ever punished for the crimes against humanity that were perpetrated here on this sacred ground thirty-seven years ago today. If there is one lesson we failed to learn in 1970 that we must learn today, it's that wearing a uniform, badge, or a five-thousand dollar suit does not give a person the right or authority to kill another human being.

1970 was a very turbulent time for this nation and our world, but people, especially you young people, you need to realize that in this age of corporate control of the media and the corporate fascism that rules America, it is more urgent than ever that we put warm bodies on the streets to stop BushCo and the war machine.

I was 12 years old thirty-seven years ago today. I was aware of the news, but I was probably more concerned about my softball batting average and eagerly awaiting the end of another boring school year. Little did I know, suspect or even fear that I would give birth to a wonderful baby boy named Casey in nine years and 25 days. If I thought about it, I would hope that my children would grow up in a country that rejected war and violence---but not only did I not think of those things, I didn't plan for a future without war or violence. This is why it is so urgent to do it now for your children and my own unborn grandchildren that are already so precious to me.

I was honored with the opportunity to stand vigil in the spot where Allison Krauss fell. I thought of her mother and the pain she felt when she heard the news and her pain every day since May 04, 1970. I thought of another life uselessly, tragically, violently, randomly and stupidly cut short. I thought of the hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis who do not have memorials to their Bush-wasted lives. I renewed my vow to work for peace for Allison for the rest of my life. Because in the great tradition of Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, St. Joan of Arc, Rachel Corrie and Marla Rudzicka, Allison stood her ground against injustice and for her sacrifice we will all be richer.

Before we can purge our country of the hatred that is fed by greed, we must purge our own hearts of the hatred that is fueled by bitterness. Let's stand peacefully, yet firmly and fearlessly in the face of the war machine that devours our children with their blood soaked hatred.

One speaker before me said that Jesus never started a war. Well Jesus never started a religion either, no matter what the Catholics or Baptists think; but what Jesus did start was a non-violent revolution that has been bastardized by the religious right. Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, but not your Christians, they are nothing like your Christ!" It was proved here and elsewhere during the Vietnam anti-war movement that we cannot fight wars using their tactics or methods: we don't have the firepower that they do and we have no soldiers or generals. Our country fights wars against drugs, poverty and terror and our struggle is technically a war against war but we are humans, as are the people we allow our government to kill in our names using our tax money. We need to forge a non-violent revolution for peace and struggle to see the heart-lights in the eyes of our enemies so eventually we will prevail.

Buddhists have a saying that people die twice: once when there bodies die and once when the last person who remembers them dies. We must not allow our nation to forget the sacrifices of Casey and Augie (Shroeder, KIA 08/03/06, whose mom, Rosemary Palmer spoke) and the lessons of Iraq and the criminal Bush regime as we apparently forgot the lessons of Kent State, Vietnam, and the criminal Nixon regime. However as long as there is one of us still standing, shining our heart-lights and working for peace: Allison, Jeff, Bill, Sandy, Augie and Casey will live forever!

Get Off it Bill O'Reilly

Cindy Sheehan

A recent Harris Poll indicated that only 22% of Americans support George's war of terror. I suspect that the less than one-fourth of our country who are still in favor of the hopeless mess BushCo has tragically involved the USA in get all of their "news" from Fox News.

I have mostly kept silent about Fox and their role as co-conspirators with the Bush Regime because I believe that the organization is too ridiculous to even waste ink or breath on. MSNBC, CNN and the networks are not much better, but they are not as openly pro-war or pro-BushCo as Fox. There are also fabulous internet sites (Media Matters and Sweet Jesus I Hate Bill O'Reilly) that do a great job of pointing out the errors and outright lies of Fox News. Robert Greenwald's Outfoxed and Al Frankens' Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them are great commentaries on the 'fair and balanced" network. O'Reilly is regularly Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" for his hateful and idiotic rhetoric.

I don't get a chance to watch TV very often, and when I do get a chance, I can give an almost 100% guarantee that I am not watching Fox News. When I broke my vow to never do Fox and went on Sean Hannity's show, he was amazed to find out that I never watch his program and wasn't nearly as pre-occupied with him as he seems to be with me. I hear things through the grapevine, but as my mom always said, I "consider the source."

However, saying all that, I have had enough of Bill O'Reilly's obsession with me and his unfair and unbalanced program. I almost wrote a piece called, "Oh Really, O'Reilly, " when the Bush Mob mouthpiece was on the David Letterman show and when Letterman stuck up for me, Bill said: "No one goes on my show and calls terrorists 'freedom fighters." He is one slimy operator because I am sure what he said was true…no one goes on his show and calls terrorists "freedom fighters," but the statement is so misleading because it leads one to believe that I have ever been on his show and have called terrorists "freedom fighters."

The only time I have watched O'Reilly's show was recently when my dear friend Col. Ann Wright, US Army, Ret. was on the program. She was ostensibly on to comment about the Geneva Conventions regarding prisoners of war during the time when Iran was holding some British Marines as prisoners. O'Reilly turned it into brouhaha about Ann being an "America hater." When Ann saliently pointed out the fact that she had served her country in the U.S. Army for 29 years and asked O'Reilly how many years he served, he had her mike cut. After that episode, I went back to working on my computer and a few minutes later O'Reilly was talking about me and how I had the "big money" of George Soros behind me and that's why he had to do his best to "expose" me every chance he gets. At that point, I looked up at my assistant who was sitting next to me and told her to get George Soros on the horn and tell him that his "big money" was about three years late and we really could use the funds. First of all, I don't know George Soros and secondly, what business is it of O'Reilly's what Soros does with his money? According to O'Reilly, George Soros funds every politician, political cause and wields huge influence over us. In my experience and travels I have never met one person who was reaping the fabled rewards of a Soros association!

So far, I have ignored this and stayed above the Fox news defamation of my character. It would not take a moral giant the equivalent of a Mother Teresa to stay above Fox News. They have no conscious or credibility. I can't think of many people lower than Fox News, their employees and frequent neo-con contributors as Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, William Kristol, etc. However when I recently received an email from a person with the email address of "G.I. Joe" who claimed to be an Iraq war vet accusing me of calling terrorists "freedom fighters" because he had just heard it on the "news," was when I decided The O'Reilly Factor had to go.

I know for a fact the evening G.I. Joe wrote me, O'Reilly brought that old lie back up. He can't think of anything new and he can't defend an indefensible criminal regime, so he has to rehash old lies and character assassinations of me and other "liberals" to keep his program afloat. I answered the soldier and explained carefully to him the distinction between a "terrorist" and an occupied person in a sovereign country who is fighting for his/her freedom from an oppressive foreign country. I tried to get G.I Joe to recall his lessons about the American Revolution when our founding fathers and mothers did the same thing. I mourn that G.I. Joe watches Fox News and is so abysmally misinformed and immorally manipulated.

The person who isn't misinformed though, is Mr. Bill O'Reilly. If he had a conscious, he should be ashamed of leading 22% of this country astray. The Jesus of Fox News thinks it is okay to kill innocent people for profit, but my Jesus said: "woe to he that causes one of the little ones to stumble. It would be better for that person to tie a millstone around his neck and be sunk in the depth of the sea." (Mt 18:6) O'Reilly and the rest of the bad shepherds at Fox News are thankfully seeing their flock decline, but they are abrogating their responsibility to inform their viewers properly and are making a mockery out of objective reporting.

There was a successful campaign led against BushCo and war critic, Don Imus, waged through his advertisers. He was taken off the air and I say it's about time that grass roots progressives pull the plug on Fox News beginning with the hate-filled rhetoric of Bill O'Reilly.

It is not because of his public libel of me, I have often found his weird attraction to me a little humorous and very sad, but because of G.I. Joe, I am calling for a boycott of every sponsor of Bill O'Reilly's show. When his empty spin zone is shut down, hopefully the rest of the purveyors of Bush propaganda will get the message.

We voters, activists, and grass roots peace and justice workers, are in the considerable majority and we are also consumers. It's about time we used the power of OUR purse strings to hold the "vast wasteland" of Fox News accountable. Then maybe, just maybe, we can get information from our mainstream news sources and not right-wing infotainment. This is something fairly easy to do, and besides a letter to Fox News telling them why you are not supporting O'Reilly and his sponsors, we can focus on what's important: ending the occupation of Iraq and holding Fox's best-friends, the Bush Administration, accountable.

Bill O'Reilly: get off your high horse and get off of our TV screens!

TO CALL FOX NEWS CHANNEL:

1-888-369-4762

TO E-MAIL GENERAL COMMENTS:

YourComments@foxnews.com

The 23% for the war will never change

I get most articles written about Cindy Sheehan. I like to keep up with her and what she is doing. She is hated so much by the other side of the divide. These people are so nasty and vile with the things they spew out of their mouths. They are so filled with hate for anyone who isn't like themselves. They have no problem killing others who aren't like them.

Cindy was in Ohio for the Kent State anniversary last week. Check out the article and what words are used by the 23% who still support the war.

I really can't believe we have to live with these people. I wonder who they are while I am out and about. There's not many who think like these selfish people. Most have realized we were wrong by invading another country. Most people see the light. Most sane people. Still, there are these people who will never change. I am so happy I don't live in Ohio with these people! OMG, read what they write. No truth to their words but yet they still believe...and always will. There's no changing these people. At least they are only 23%. Read the article and what the other side of the divide said and you will see what I mean. Click on the page to read all the comments. They are so good at repeating the lies told to them.

May PEACE be inside ALL of us,
Cindy

Cindy Sheehan urges KSU crowd to 'a new revolution'

KENT - Anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan would like to see today's college students become more active against the war in Iraq.

``I wish college students cared enough about what's going on in Iraq and our country to be as committed as the students were in 1970,'' Sheehan said in an interview an hour before she was to address a crowd at Kent State University on the 37th anniversary of the Kent State shootings.

Sheehan, 49, whose son Army Specialist Casey Sheehan was killed in Iraq in 2004, said she does not wish for any protest to become violent, but she said, ``I think we need a new revolution.''

The annual event marks the killing of four students and wounding of nine others by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest on the campus.

Student Kara Kear, 19 of Toledo, a freshman studied for finals as she waited for the program to begin.

``It's important to be involved with May 4th activities and to remember all the people whose lives were lost,'' she said.

She said she's sorry there aren't more members of her generation who would do what the students of 1970 did.

The Sheehan event drew a crowd of several hundred.

tired Piqua, OH	| Yea thats right listen to this bibbo who son volunteered to join and died. This womwn needs help!
KSUGrad13 Akron, OH	Sheehan needs to butt out. She needs to go home and shut up.
Truthsayer Lake Milton, OH	| Remember 1938. Impeachment is hippie for surrender.
Spirit of Reagan Redwood City, CA	Cindy Sheehan is a pathetic person that hates the US. She went down and met with Hugo Chavez. She disgusts me. Her son served with honor and would certainly be ashamed of her behavior
Mike Hix Canton, OH	Please don't assume you know the intentions of her son better than she does. That's silly.
Sheehan is no Mom Uniontown, OH	Cindy divorced her first husband and left her son with him to be raised while she became a political activist for the Democratic Party. She had very little to do with her son in his growing years. She remarried. The 1st husband remarried. The original father raised the son with his new wife. They miss their son and mourn the loss of his life. They have stated that they are very proud of their son and that they agree with the stance of America in Iraq and on terror. They said that their son was eager to serve and to go fight the terrorists in Iraq. Cindy didn't care about her son. She let another woman raise him. Cindy doesn't care about the other soldiers in Iraq. Cindy cares about her liberal, feminist agenda and about using the death of her son to lobby against Republicans and Bush. I am no Bush supporter, but I am a DAD and a veteran and a student at Kent State University. I am glad I was not there to hear the ramblings of a woman who turned her back on her son till he died.
Howard Beale Jr “I'm as Mad as Hell...”	|Class of 68 wrote: Things are only a threat if you are in the group being threatened. To get college students to care more, just reinstate the draft, reestablish a draft lottery and make student deferrments difficult to maintain. It worked in 1967 and it would work in 2007. Probably need to confiscate their cellphones and iPods, too,'68. Now, THAT they would care about. Burn down buildings? At Akron, now they don't even care enough to burn a couch. The draft. Now. At least it would clean out Firstone Park.
OH Dude 2007 Toledo, OH	Cindy Sheehan is still around? I thought she was locked up in an asylum somewhere in Timbucktoo.
jal Nashville, OH	Sadam of Iraq, the Taliban and Al Qaeda(sp) would all be considered evil, America (aka the good folks) isn't sitting around doing nothing; therefore, evil shall not triumph. Thank you for the help arguing against your point. As for Cindy Sheehan, her son knew the risk and the benefit of joining our military. He chose to join out of this analysis or pure pride of country. Either way, she is disgracing his service by her actions since his death by hanging her liberal campaign on his grave.
What a Grandstander Uniontown, OH	Guess what, sadly the grave of Casey Sheehan still has no marker or grave stone. After more than two years, and a Dept. of Defense payment of $250,000 to the "Peace Mom", she has not had the time or bothered to have a headstone placed on this young hero's grave. And, she doesn't even have to pay for one. She can find time to protest on at least 3 continents, get arrested various times, go on vacation in Hawaii, have photo ops with the Marxists in Venezuela but can't seem to find the time to properly mark her son's grave. No please people, tell me if this is a woman who could utilize her uterus for birth but cares so little for the son she lost that a simple maker to honor his heroic act is too much to ask.
Satisfied Akron, OH	Cindy Sheehan is amazing-- one of the only people who, from the get go was strong and brave enough to stand up against this god forsaken war and god forsaken excuse of a president. I am sure that her son would be rather proud that his mother is so willing to carry on and fight for what is best for this country.
Lucie Rueth-Flowers Fort Lauderdale, FL	I agree that the kids of today are not as involved as they were in the late 60's & 70's I wish I could have been in Ohio to be at Kent for the last few days. I still have great memories of being at the "Tent City" as a child, with my mom who was very involved with May 4th & protesting the building of the gym. I want my son to attend Kent State in a few years. We must all learn from May 4th 1970,& keep OUR goverment in check. 67 shots 13 seconds 4 dead 9 wounded
KSUGrad Damascus, OH	If it wasn't for selfish anti-war radicals such as Sheehan, this tragic day at KSU wouldn't have happend. Oh and it's tough to compare Vietnam with Iraq. Vietnam was a civil war. Iraq is a war on terrorism or more specifically, the radical Muslim extremists. You know, the ones that successfully killed nearly 3,000 people in NYC within 20 minutes without a single gun shot? So the enemy here is like a termites. Difficult to find, extremely distructive, and hard to find the source. I don't know a lick about war strategy, but I trust that our Nation and our troops are trying their best to get the job done and to get the hell out. The only thing we are missing is the support of the American people.
Satisfied Akron, OH	P.S. "Sheehan is no Mom"... have you not figured out yet that the war in Iraq is not about terrorism? And Iraq has NOTHING to do with terrorism and American soldiers and Iraqi civilians are dying for reasons that have yet to be explained. Please tell me you do not buy into that... seriously?

paid to come here

Akron, OH

Did Kent State pay her to speak? Is she cashing in on the death of her son?

Spirit of Reagan Redwood City, CA

I still remember 9/11 and I understand the Islamic threat to our country. These people want to kill us. Running from Iraq will only embolden them. Our Generals need the time to implement the plans they reviewed with the Senate before the Senate voted 97-0 to send them to Iraq. Early reports show progess and we are killing Al Qaeda terrorists every day in Iraq. In addition, some Sunni's have turned on Al Qaeda. This is all encouraging and that is why we need to do whatever it takes to win this fight.

Hey Hey Ho Ho Akron, OH

Cindy Sheehan must go.

Sheehan is no Mom Uniontown, OH	Hey Satisfied...we all know it is about politcal advancements and trying to finish what Daddy didn't, oh and the oh so needy oil reserves, but terrorism is a great way to rally American's around the campfire. We depend on our military to do what we here at home won't...thats their job and they do it willingly and with honor. Just think if ole GW had muslims climbing fences like the Mexicans do...wow!!! And if you don't already know...Barrack Obama is a Muslim...go figure
Class of 68 Akron, OH	KSUGrad - You must not have taken any logic or reading comprehension classes while at KSU. The radical Muslim extremists of 9/11 had ZERO ties to Iraq, got ZERO funding from Iraq, were NOT active in Iraq (It was a secular dictatorship. Look it up) and did NOT include any Iraqi nationals. Iraq did NOT attack the United States nor did Iraq pose any danger at all to the United States. You have it backwards. Viet Nam a civil war? Ohmigawd! Glad I'm an AkronU grad and got a REAL education.
Spirit of Reagan Redwood City, CA	Class of 68 is obviously an America Hater suffering from a moderate case of Bush Derangement Syndrome. Class of 68 obviously thinks America and the military are the problem in the world. Wake up. America is the shining light in the world. Our military has done more good for the world than any other before it. It liberated hundreds of millions of people in the last century and millions this century.

Note to Laura Bush - Are You Kidding Me? By Amy Branham

I wonder how many people here think about how many died today in Iraq as they go about their business. I think about them all the time. Over 100 died in April. 3350. Far more than died in the towers. How many have to die for oil? It's not even the oil. It's the money that the oil brings. Money is worth much more than human life isn't it? Bush and his family doesn't care about human life. It's all about the money - kill the poor so the rich have more room to play.

May Peace be inside ALL of us,
Cindy

Are You Kidding Me?
By Amy Branham
Tuesday 01 May 2007

Laura Bush on "The Today Show" April 25, 2007: Ann Curry: Do you know the American people are suffering ... watching [Iraq]? Laura Bush: Oh, I know that very much, and, believe me, no one suffers more than their president and I do when we watch this. And certainly the commander-in-chief who has asked our military to go into harm's way. AC: What do you think the American people need to know ... LB: Well, I hope they do know the burden of worry that's on his shoulders every single day for our troops. And I think they do. I think if they don't, they're not seeing what the real responsibilities of our president are. AC: It must be hard for you to watch him in this. LB: It's hard. Of course, it's absolutely hard.

Believe me, Laura, there are many others who suffer more than you and your husband when they watch on TV the horrors of Iraq. I can name several people whom I know personally, myself included, who have suffered much more than you because of this war. You only have to watch it on TV when you choose to. You can turn it off and on at will and walk away from it. Thousands upon thousands of others, however, cannot.

Have you stayed up all night, walking the floors of your home, wondering about the last moments of your child's life? Have you had to sit back and watch as your daughters mourned their big brother, their only brother, who is now dead? Have you held and comforted your husband, whose heart has broken? Just tell me, how have you and the president suffered in all of this, tucked away safe and sound in your Ivory Tower?

What about the military families who send their sons, daughters, husbands, wives, moms and dads into battle over and over again? Have you suffered the way they have? Have you lost your job, your family? Have you or any member of your family come home maimed for life from the loss of limbs? Has any member of your family suffered from PTSD or suicidal thoughts? Have you sat up all night wondering if you will ever hear from your loved one again because you know they are in harm's way?

Let's talk about the soldiers who are not getting the supplies and equipment they need, but are doing their best every single day to do their jobs in an impossible situation - because your husband sent them to an ill-begotten, immoral and unjust war against a country and a people who did not attack us. They miss their homes, their families, their lives. And their lives will never be the same if they do come home unharmed. The men and women of our military have suffered much more than you and George.

Most of all, have you even given one ounce of thought to the people of Iraq? What about their suffering? How many tens of thousands of deaths have they suffered? How many of their homes have been destroyed? How many whole families have been killed?

I promise you, Laura, there is absolutely no way you and George have suffered even close to the suffering of the military families, the soldiers, the people of Iraq have suffered. You could not unless you sent one of your beloved children or other family members into the war. You are so far removed from it that I don't think you have the capacity for understanding what the true suffering of the war in Iraq is. Don't get me wrong; I believe that you, as a woman and a mother, probably do have some empathy for the suffering. But you do not understand. Not even close.

Please do not insult our intelligence and the sacrifice of the soldiers and their families or the people of Iraq with such comments again.