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MASHED POTATOES

Running Time 41 min.

Film by Annie Spell

Music by Brian Stoltz

To everything there is a season.
A time for war, a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes, Hebrew Scriptures

I wish I could say I thought of something profound as
I saw the president and his wife’s picture on that
billboard on Hwy 317 in my rear view mirror on my way
out of Crawford today. I will be back for the final
weekend farewell to Camp Casey on July 6th, but I
won’t be back as the owner of property there, or as a
leader of the American peace movement.

Camp Casey August, 2005 inspired this song "Sons and our Daughters" By: Jasse Dyen, Video by: Gordon Soderberg.

This will be a short entry as I heard it on Bree Walker's show on Air America.

Camp Casey, as you may know, was the 5 acre parcel that Cindy Sheehan purchased near George W. Bush's 'ranch' where he merrily cuts brush while Iraq burns.  The anti-occupation activities that were based there including the roadside memorial are credited with finally bringing attention to the disastrous invasion and occupation.

When Cindy announced her intention to end her daily involvement with Camp Casey, it was initially thought she would sell her interest via a mechanism such as Ebay.

BY Buddy Spell
May 30, 2007
And there ya go.....

By way of background, Cindy Sheehan and I became acquainted in 2004. At the time, several Louisiana activists had established a resistance beach head in the Greater New Orleans Area to confront the war advocates regardless of whoever won the sham election in the coming November. Cindy contacted me seeking our endorsement of a new group she had organized called Gold Star Families for Peace.

I instantly sensed her strength, sincerity and passion. We became immediate friends.

A lot of eulogies were posted in the comments to Cindy Sheehan's heart rending Memorial Day posting. Well, apparently, either because of the outpouring of sympathy, or just the inability to deny what is deep in her heart, Cindy has voiced an inclination to fight on:

The peace movement has failed it's obilgation to remain independent of party offiliation. That is to say, the so-called professionals in the peace movement are as currupted as the repubocratic party that pays their saleries.

I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called "Face" of the American anti-war movement. Especially since I renounced any tie I have remaining with the Democratic Party, I have been further trashed on such "liberal blogs" as the Democratic Underground. Being called an "attention whore" and being told "good riddance" are some of the more milder rebukes.

This past Thrusday my Mother and I traveled to Austin, TX for a Camp Casey Family Reunion. We attended the Camp Casey Peace Awards and I was honored to accept the Camp Casey Peace Institutes first Young Activist Peace Award. I was especially inspired by being in the company of so many great people working for Peace including Willie and Annie Nelson and Ann Wright. The award ceremony was a great reunion of some amazing activists and wonderful musicians who played some awesome music. Our plan was to leave the next day on the last flight out of Dallas. We had flown into Dallas and driven from there to Austin. After realizing that we weren't going to be able to make our flight we pulled off onto an exit from the interstate and realized we were a matter of minutes from Crawford, TX.

Casey's mother is Cindy Sheehan.  Casey joined the army and was told that he would not go into war.  Casey was to be a health care worker while in the army.

He was transfered to an army unit that was involved in urban combat.  He was in a UNARMOURED HumVee when a sniper shot him in the head.  He died instantly.

Yesterday, August 18, 2006, Camp Casey 3 converged outside the East Gate of Fort Hood in Killeen for a successful action in solidarity with US Army Spc Suzanne Swift, who is currently refusing redeployment under the command of the same individuals who are currently being investigated for rape and sexual harassment against her.

There are exciting plans in the works for the next two weeks at Camp Casey 3. Come join us on the amazing, beautiful land now called Camp Casey for the many programs, teach-ins, actions, and vigils for peace happening as we settle in to the neighborhood. (see extending body for details and schedule)

Today, President Bush is scheduled to leave Crawford, setting a record for the shortest summer vacation he's taken in office.

But we, the people, still intend to hold him and his adminstration accountable, and are determined to end the war.

Camp Casey in Crawford continues until Sept. 2, and there is a lot to do, with workshops, teach-ins, actions, strategizing sessions, and much more. See the events calendar for more of the planned activities. Things really are kicking into gear on the 16th, and Bush may miss all the fun, but you won't want to.

A year ago today,  about 100 of us marched down Prairie Chapel Road in the awful Texas heat into history. Today, with very short notice, dozens of us marched down the same road, with the same results: no meeting with the cowardly cowboy wanna-be in chief.

President Bush at his booking in Crawford


Crawford, TX (APE) - Early this morning a dispute erupted between local police and the President's secret service detail as Mr. Bush was apparently taken into custody outside Camp Casey, the protest camp set up by noted peace activist and Gold Star Mom, Cindy Sheehan. Crawford police are reportedly considering charging the president with indecent exposure, in an incident which the White House is referring to as merely "skinny-cycling".

For the second August in a row, average Americans will be making a pilgrimage to Crawford, Texas to show their commitment to peace and ending the war.
Let us hope that their voices get heard not only by the President who is vacationing in Crawford, but just like last year, around the world.

Tomorrow, Camp Casey officially opens.
There will be a planning meeting of volunteers this afternoon
at the Crawford Peace House.

And here is a link how you can help from near and far.
http://crawfordpeace.nfshost.com/...

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like this year's Camp Casey has gotten little if any attention, and it seems like with the growing discontent with the war, that this year's event has even better potential to connect across the country as a
galvanizing event in the stop the war effort.

Will you help?
It all started with one woman deciding she'd had enough.
Have you had enough?
What will you do?

Junior's gonna have some company at his "ranch" during is August vacation this year.  Camp Casey is returning to Crawford August 16 through September 2.  After that, they'll move it to the National Mall on Sept. 8th   (through Sept. 21st)  where activists will gather for workshops, trainings, and to meet candidates running for office.  It looks like a lot of national groups have already signed on to take part in this project in the lead-up to the elections in November.  

The Camp Democracy website describes the event as "a camp for peace, democracy, and the restoration of the rule of law... focused not only on ending the war but also on righting injustices here at home and on holding accountable the Bush Administration and Congress."

I knew Cindy before she got all famous and it was unpopular to decry this sad farce of a Schlock & Offal war. We lived in Benicia, CA, were a small group of about a dozen of us had established regular weekly anti-war vigils starting the very day after Bush pushed his big-boy Red Button. We were a peaceful group who often faced spewing inarticulate heavy-breather males who would threaten, bellow, veer vehicles dangerously close as threatening weapons, and generally intimidate the mostly elderly female group. I was regularly thanked by the women for my presence as they indicated the nastiness was kept more remote and lower-key when a male was around.
Eventually, the stalwart efforts of a few to make signs and stand in gloomy winter weather drew ever-wider attention and we routinely saw guests trickle in from near and far. Cindy and her {then} husband would periodically drive in for the evening and my wee family got to meet them several times in the face of such adversity. It was always a pleasure and she has been a pillar of strength from the beginning.

Cindy Sheehan to move camp from Crawford to National Mall in September.

Camp Casey will be back in Crawford from August 16 to Sept. 2 (see www.crawfordpeacehouse.org for info). The plans have just been announced for events and actions in DC after Crawford.

Camp Democracy at Fort Fed Up will bring together dozens of progressive organizations "focused not only on ending the war but also on righting injustices here at home and on holding accountable the Bush Administration and Congress."

"Organizers intend the camp to bring together peace activists and activists for social justice, united in demanding a shift of public resources from war to the needs of people. Participants will lobby Congress to end all funding of the occupation of Iraq, and will demand that Congress hold the Bush Administration accountable for the falsehoods that launched the war and the abuses of power here at home that have accompanied it."

A new website, www.campdemocracy.org has been created to provide news and information and help organize this campaign. Sign up, volunteer, give your organizational endorsement.

Full press release below.