UUA Hosts Press Conference for Cindy Sheehan

Cindy Sheehan speaks at the UUA. Photo by John Crow

(October 30, 2005) On October 29th the UUA hosted a press conference for peace activist Cindy Sheehan, who was in Boston to lead a major anti-war rally and march. Sheehan is the "Gold Star Mom"  who gained the national spotlight last August when she camped outside of President George Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. The press conference, held in the UUA's Eliot Hall, was designed to focus attention on the mounting death toll in Iraq where more than 2,000 US service men and women have died since the start of the war.

Speaking to more than a dozen reporters from the pulpit once used by William Ellery Channing, the soft-spoken Sheehan calmly stated, "Not one person should have died for this mistake. We demand an end to the occupation of Iraq. We demand that our troops come home as soon as possible."

When asked about the significance of the US death toll climbing above 2,000 last week, Sheehan responded, "My son was 615, but to us they are not numbers. Two thousand might be an arbitrary tipping point that knocked some folks off the fence. The people who are joining us now come from Middle America. They are grandmas and grandpas and people pushing baby carriages."

Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed in an ambush in April, 2004, noted that many war protesters were celebrating the indictment the day before of Lewis Libby, aid to Vice-President Dick Cheney. Sheehan countered, "But I didn't feel very joyful, because the people running our country into the ground lied. More than 2,000 Americans and tens of thousands Iraqis are dead because of their lies."

Sheehan concluded her formal remarks by urging that more people take part in grass-roots activism. "The only way we've ever made effective change in this country is from the bottom up," she noted. "We have to force our leaders to do what we the people employ them to do."

The Boston rally was organized by the October 29 Coalition  with leadership from longtime UU activists David Keil, alum of First Parish in Needham, MA , and recent teacher in the church school there, and First Parish UU in Arlington, MA .

In an interview after the press conference, a tearful Sheehan described Casey as "a gentle, kind man who loved animals and children." As she was supported by a friend, Sheehan said, "Casey was my best friend, and he will always be my hero."

Sheehan thanked the UUA and noted that Unitarian Universalists welcome her wherever she goes. She had a special word of appreciation for the UU Church of Berkeley, CA , who hosted one of her very first speaking events, and for UUs from Austin and south Texas, who championed Camp Casey.

For further information:

• Casey's Peace Page 
• Mass Global Action 
• UUA Statements: The War Against Iraq

Media Coverage :

• 10/30/05: Boston Globe – "Antiwar protesters march on Common: Mother of slain US soldier addresses crowd of 2,000" by Michael Levenson
• 10/30/05: Boston Herald – "Protesters Indict War-Related Lies: 1,000 Rally on Common with Cindy Sheehan"
• 10/30/05: CBS4.com – "Anti-War Catalyst Rallies Hundreds in Boston"
• 10/30/05: Infoshop News.org – "Anti-War Protesters March on Common"

Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon St. | Boston, MA 02108 | 617-742-2100