I first met Cindy Sheehan in April, 2004, just after her son 24-year-old Casey was killed in Iraq. I was covering Solano County (California) for KXTV, News10, and I was one of the first three reporters to show up at her home in Vacaville (the others were from the two local newspapers). Cindy and her husband Patrick graciously welcomed us. I felt so sad for them, but I was also honored to be there with them. They were so proud of Casey, and they were pleased that his life and sacrifices would be recognized in the local media.
For the next several days, I would visit the Sheehans. Not necessarily to do a story (though there were a few), but just to talk. They were very nice people, and as Cindy later told me, it was a relief to be able to talk with an outsider with whom they felt they could confide in their feelings. Other than notifying them that Casey had died and arranging for his remains to be brought back to his hometown, the military had little contact with the Sheehans.
Shortly before Casey's funeral, Cindy told me that her grief was turning to anger. It became clear that she never really supported the war, but had kept silent about it. Despite her family's wishes, she began to speak publicly about her disdain for President Bush and what she felt was an unnecessary war. It was not long before Cindy's discontent was heard well beyond her hometown of Vacaville. Eventually, she became one of the most vocal and powerful figures against the war in Iraq and against George Bush.
I kept in touch with Cindy over the years. She gave me her private cell phone number, and though she had left Solano County, we would still talk on occasion, mostly about how she was doing and how her life had changed so radically. After leaving News10 four years ago, I lost touch.
So, it is with interest that this week I see that Cindy Sheehan is now being sued by the federal government for failure to pay taxes. She told KXTV that she has not paid taxes since the year Casey was killed. "I feel like I gave my son to this country in an illegal and immoral war. I'll never get him back," Sheehan said. "And, so, if they can give me my son back, then I'll pay my taxes. And that's not going to happen."
Whether you agree with her or not, I give credit her for remaining strong in her convictions, and, as she has proven in the past, she is willing to face jail time to stand up for what she believes are the misgivings of the U.S. government. On her blog she writes, "The Feds have thrown down the gauntlet against someone who has absolutely not one ounce of fear of them, and when it’s over, they’ll know they have been in a fight."
When I first met Cindy, she was in shock. She seemed lost, defeated, not knowing what do to. Her life changed forever then, and through her son's death, she has found a cause and a following. One that she is even more devoted to now as in the days following Casey's death.
