Peace is not for Wimps by Cindy Sheehan

Peace is not for Wimps

Cindy Sheehan

I am on an overseas trip to Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Sweden invited by the Free the Cuban Five Committees of Ireland and Sweden. On days two and three of the trip, I was very excited to go to Northern Ireland as I have never been there before and there is, of course, a deep tradition of struggle and a hard, hard won peace--with reconciliation being an ongoing process. 

I learned so much in Northern Ireland about the “Troubles,” as I met and spoke at length with members of the Peace People and Sinn Fein; some with ties to the Irish Republican Army.

Mairead Maguire with Cindy Sheehan

Whew! The process contained so many nuances and secret negotiations that I learned of as I sat soaking up the history at the same kitchen table in Derry (Bloody Sunday) at the Hume home, where Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein and future Nobel Peace Laureate, John Hume, leader of the Social Democrat and Labour Party (SDLP), met off and on for five years trying to hammer out a peace accord that would work for everyone in the North. John Hume is unfortunately not very well, but meeting him and hearing about his historic work from himself was very inspiring. 

I also met with Mairead Maguire (listen to our Soapbox interview with Mairead recorded on July 19, 2009 after she was put in Israeli jail for trying to break the blockade of Gaza) who founded Peace People after the tragic death of three of her sister’s children who were killed when a British soldier shot an IRA member in the head while he was driving and the car careened out of control wiping out the family. Mairead is also a Nobel Peace Laureate. I was honored to speak at the Peace House in Belfast that she founded using her monetary award.

Katrina Ruane (Sinn Fein, MLA) and Martin McGuinness
(Sinn Fein Deputy Prime Minister of the
Northern Ireland Assembly) with
Cindy Sheehan

I had a lovely meeting with Martin McGuinness who is a member of Sinn Fein and who is Deputy Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. We met at the Stormont, which is the Northern Ireland assembly—grounds sold to the Crown in the 1920’s by a noble to build the government seat.

Martin told me that Tony Blair was a good friend of his and so, when the drums of war were pounding for a US/UK invasion of Iraq, Martin and Gerry Adams (current President of Sinn Fein and someone also deeply involved in the peace process) went to 10 Downing Street to meet with Blair and to encourage him to forget about this insane idea of his to go along with the Bush regime like the good poodle he would become.

President of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, with Cindy Sheehan
at Leinster House in Dublin

Martin told me that Blair’s Chief of Staff said not to worry because they would be “in and out of Iraq in three months.” Martin and Gerry feared that it would be years, if not decades. Here we are in 2012, and the US is firmly entrenched in Iraq and, although some troops have pulled out, don’t seem to be leaving that war torn country any time soon.

From the office of the Peace House, I did an interview with the BBC. I don’t like the BBC and I usually have distasteful experiences, but it has such a huge audience, I try to swallow my distaste and just do the interviews. Seamus, the host, didn’t disappoint me—he was just like all the rest--combative and sensationalist. 

At one point he asked me something like this: “Cindy, given the fact that the Military Industrial Complex is so large and powerful, what kind of impact do you think not paying your taxes has on it?”

Well, at least I can read the latest act of horror committed by my country or its adjuncts and think to myself, “at least I didn’t fund that.” How can one say he/she is against war and other atrocities, yet pay for them? And Seamus was right, withholding my money and using it for good rather than evil doesn’t seem to be slowing down the war machine even a little bit, but what if conscientious war tax resistance were a movement and not a statement by just a few?

After that interview with Seamus and the meeting at the Peace House in war-torn, but healing Belfast, I received an email from one of my attorneys who is helping me with my tax issues telling me that my hearing before a magistrate to try and force me to comply will probably be on April 19^th in Sacramento.

At the meeting at the Peace House, a gentleman asked me if I would go to prison rather than pay my taxes.

I don’t want to go to prison in the USA—that’s one of the last things in the world I want to do. I don’t think that it will come to that, but my answer to the gentleman was, “Yes.” This is one of the multitude of reasons why:

The other day, I saw a video report from the BBC, not some left wing anti-Semitic, radical news source, that told about an Israeli soldier that lined three sisters ages four to eight up against the side of their home in Gaza and shot them—killing two and crippling the four year old. By conservative estimates, the US gives Israel ten million per day for military aid. Would I rather go to prison than fund the murder of these young girls and millions more?

That’s not a hard choice for me.

In Belfast, the British troops finally left, forced out by a combination of non-violent protest and armed struggle.

Tax resistance is one of the most non-violent forms of resistance that I can think of: One that can make a profound difference.

I hope we can Occupy Peace and grow the tax resistance movement to really and non-violently make a difference.

We must ask ourselves if funding the execution of babies is something that our moral center is comfortable with.

Tax resistance does not have to take an "all or nothing" approach.

I warmly invite and encourage you to check out the website of the National War Tax Resister's Co-ordinating Committee for more information.

CLICK TO DONATE!

"Is there a problem?" by Cindy Sheehan in Belfast

From my hotel room in Howth (near Dublin)

The 5th of each month has been designated by the International Committee to free the Cuban 5 as a day where activities are planned to spread the word about the case and to do whatever we can to hasten the end of the anti-terrorists' unjust imprisonment.


As a refresher: the Cuban 5 were sent to Florida by their nation to infiltrate anti-Castro, anti-Revolution, communities of Cuban exiles which had caused the deaths, by acts of terrorism (most notably the downing of a Cubana airliner that killed everyone on board) of over 3,000 Cubans. 


During the course of the mission of the Five, they found information that was felt was crucial to the national security of the USA, and when the information was reported to the FBI, the real terrorists weren't arrested, but the Five were, for "espionage."


After a sham trial in Miami, (a change of venue was clearly warranted, but not granted), the Five wee sentenced to lengthy prison terms. One of them, Rene Gonzalez, was freed last year, but he has an onerous three year probation in Miami.


I have done activism for the Five around the world and on March 5th, I was in Dublin, Ireland having been invited there by the Irish Committee to Free the 5. 


Our March 5th activity was to go to the US Embassy in Dublin and I read a letter to the president of the United States, which I then tried to deliver to be sent to him.


After I read the letter surrounded by Irish Free the 5 activists, I walked up to the window to ask if I could go inside MY embassy and deliver the letter to someone who could send it to the POTUS (I was born during the day, but not yesterday, I knew they wouldn't take it) and I was told that I "didn't have an appointment" by an Irish lad who works at MY embassy.


I then informed him (in case he didn't know), that I was an American and asked him if I could go in if I "had a problem."


He asked me what my "problem" was.


"My country is illegally imprisoning or detaining five Cuban citizens and I want to see that remedied." I still wasn't admitted and told that I had to "post" my letter to Obama.


After our even yesterday, my Irish colleague and I, drove up to Northern Ireland and I have quite a busy day planned and I will post a report of all of that tomorrow.


Cindy Sheehan


Belfast, Ireland


March 6, 2012

Free the Cuban Five Statement by Cindy Sheehan

I will be reading this statement near the US Embassy in Dublin today.

Free the Cuban Five Campaign Ireland

March 5th 2012

Dear President Obama,

As a citizen of the United States of America whose son, Casey, died in Iraq allegedly protecting his country against terrorism in an invasion that was based on lies and destruction, I call on you to free the Five Cuban anti-terrorists, four of whom are still incarcerated in US prisons.

The fifth, René Gonzalez was released last October from Marianna prison in Florida after serving his full unjust sentence having been found guilty on charges of conspiracy based on a legally flawed court hearing in Miami. René is also a citizen of the US and was entitled to a fair trial with an unprejudiced jury, a situation that was impossible for him to have in that city. 

Roberto González, René's only sibling and an important member of the Cuban Five's legal team, is gravely ill with cancer in a Havana hospital. Although René has served his unjust sentence of more than 13 years in U.S. prison, as a punitive measure he is being forced to serve a further three years probation in the United States. As a result he is unable to be with his brother at this critical time, unless he receives special permission to do so.

His attorney Phil Horowitz has filed an emergency court petition requesting permission for René to return to Cuba for only two weeks to visit his brother in the hospital. The petition states, "Over the past nearly five months since his release from incarceration, the defendant has faithfully complied with each and every condition of his supervised release." Horowitz says, "The motion that is being filed is not unusual; it is common for a defendant to seek court permission on an emergency basis, to travel internationally for health concerns of a family member."

I urge you, President Obama to immediately allow René to travel Cuba for two weeks as a humanitarian gesture.

René is also suffering the absence of his wife, Olga who he hasn’t seen since he was imprisoned nearly 14 years ago because US immigration will not give Olga a visa to travel to Miami to see him. This is also a tragic situation that needs to be addressed.

You have the power, Mr. President, to grant permission for the Cuban Five to return home to Cuba where they belong. You have the power, Mr. President to make sure that Olga gets a visa to enter the US to see her beloved husband, Rene. You have the power, Mr. President to make sure that René Gonzalez goes to Havana for two weeks to see his dying brother. For the sake of humanity, Mr. President, exercise that power.

Cindy Lee Sheehan

Send a note to Lynne Stewart!

CLICK THE PIC OF RALPH AND LYNNE TO LISTEN TO CINDY SHEEHAN'S SOAPBOX WITH SPECIAL GUEST, RALPH POYNTER TO HEAR ABOUT LYNNE'S CASE.

To my hero, Lynne Stewart

REG. NO. 53504-054

FEDERAL MEDICAL CENTER, CARSWELL

PO BOX 27137

FT. WORTH, TX 76127

Dear Lynne,

It was so wonderful and inspiring to receive your holiday greeting! I think of you and the injustice that you are experiencing and the grace and dignity that you show in a situation that would cripple many people.

I also send healing thoughts and love for your health issues and hope you are getting good care in prison.

My friends and supporters also send love and holiday greetings back to you.

To address something that you said in your note: yes, the Occupy Movement is very righteous and has some powerful grievances against the criminal elite class in this country and the world. But if I see a weakness in the movement, it’s that it doesn’t want to make any demands and enforce them with the power of its numbers and it seems to not want to hear the wisdom of the elders. If there’s one thing that I have learned, it’s that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time we begin a new action.

2011 was a terrible year for police state oppression and war. On my radio show, I have spoken with the families of or legal representatives of political prisoners, including your husband, Ralph. I just returned from Cuba where I attended a symposium on the Cuban 5. I know that you know that George Bush and his regime didn’t invent any of these tactics and it’s so demoralizing to many people that Obama is continuing them: including allowing your unjustifiable incarceration and that of Bradley Manning.

My hope for 2012 is that the people’s movement that is arising addresses more the issues of war and peace and the alarming nature of the rise of the oppressive police state here at home.

You are loved and may 2012 return you to your loved ones and freedom!

In, love, peace, solidarity and admiration!

Cindy Sheehan

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