2/1/06
Dear Friends,
As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union Address tonight.
I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.
 Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan is escorted out of the House chamber by security personnel, January 31, 2006. (Jason Reed/Reuter |
There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:
This
afternoon at the People’s State of the Union Address in DC where I was
joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright,
Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of
the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said:
2245 Dead. How many more?
After
the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to
the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn’t feel comfortable going. I knew George
Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I
couldn’t disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I
didn’t want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had
given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the
War. However, Lynn’s office had already called the media and everyone
knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.
I
got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara
Lee’s staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we
went to the Capitol via the undergroud tunnel. I went through security
once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.
My
ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person
who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.
I
had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back
up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to
take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled;
“Protester.” He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and
roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said
something like “I’m going, do you have to be so rough?” By the way, his
name is Mike Weight.
The
officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of
the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside
to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, “That’s
Cindy Sheehan.” At which point the officer who arrested me said: “Take
these steps slowly.” I said, “You didn’t care about being careful when
you were dragging me up the other steps.” He said, “That’s because you
were protesting.” Wow, I get hauled out of the People’s House because I
was, “Protesting.”
I
was never told that I couldn’t wear that shirt into the Congress. I was
never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been
asked to do any of those things…I would have, and written about the
suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and
roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off
and arrested for “unlawful conduct.”
After
I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt.
came in and looked at my shirt and said, “2245, huh? I just got back
from there.”
I
told him that my son died there. That’s when the enormity of my loss
hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I
have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started
crying in pain.
What
did Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave young Americans die
for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm’s way for
still? For this? I can’t even wear a shrit that has the number of
troops on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies
are responsible for killing.
I
wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be
there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would
have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have
unzipped my jacket during George’s speech. If I had any idea what
happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable
that I would be arrested…maybe I would have, but I didn’t.
There have already been many wild stories out there.
I have
some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the
government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to
take our freedoms and our country back.
I
don’t want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether
he/she has paid the ulitmate price for that country, from wearing,
saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the
government. That’s why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties
back. That’s why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away
from me…or you.
I am
so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters who came to the
jail while I was locked up to show their support….we have so much
potential for good…there is so much good in so many people.
Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.
Keep up the struggle…I promise you I will too.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy