Last night, while taking a walk, I came across a vigil for Cindy Sheehan. The protesters, amid candles and flag-draped coffins, were standing in solidarity with her for 24 hours. I was glad to see this display of support and went over to talk to the protesters, one of whom was surprised that I knew who Cindy Sheehan was.
I hadn't been following the Sheehan story all that closely, but I was starting to feel a great admiration and sympathy for this woman who had been personally affected by the war in the deepest way, who was doing everything in her power to end it. (Whether or not I think pulling out immediately is a good idea is another story, but in any case I think Bush fucked up this war mightily, so even if I have a few differences in opinion with others who oppose it, we have the same basic goal.) I had been reading various links to right-wing bloggers and pundits denouncing Sheehan with growing indignation--how dare
Michelle Malkin say Casey Sheehan wouldn't have wanted his mom to do this?--and starting to see her as something of a hero, a lone voice in the Texas wilderness crying out for humanity.
Then, today I found this little rant from a letter Sheehan had written to Nightline:
Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel.
It's the same dilemma all over again, ever since the days when I couldn't bring myself to join the first anti-war protesters in part because so many of them were also anti-Israel. Just when I was starting to feel an inspiring sense of solidarity with my fellow lefties, I got a glimpse of the ugly anti-Israel bias that is too common on the left.
And this was the last place I wanted to find it.
I didn't want the pure mission of a grieving mother trying to prevent other parents from suffering her loss to be marred by the chilling ignorance of those who blame Israel for America's problems. I wanted to be able to get wholeheartedly behind this woman who had the guts to challenge the chickenhawk who sent her son to die. I didn't want to think there could be anything to criticize about this brave woman who had borne an unbearable loss and was working tirelessly to prevent others.
But now, I just feel disillusioned and alienated again from my own side--the people who claim they want peace yet attack Israel for defending itself against a culture of violence that ultimately wants its destruction. I hate Bush and his pet war as much as the next person, but I have no doubt that if anti-war protesters with the mindset of Cindy Sheehan ruled the world, Israel would be thrown to the wolves of Palestinian terrorism in an instant. And innocent people would continue to die because of the hypocrisy of liberals who confuse neoconservatism with Zionism.
There has to be another way. I know various fellow liberals--both online and in the real world--who don't buy into the anti-Israel lies, and fortunately the great majority of elected Democrats continue to support Israel, but there's a sickening amount of anti-Israel sentiment among the grassroots left, much of it far worse than Cindy Sheehan's brief reference. I'm sure it had something to do with the increased percentage of Jews who voted for Bush in 2004. I don't want it to pervade U.S. policy along with the ideals that I do share with such liberals--a woman's right to choose, equal rights for gays and lesbians, progressive healthcare and education policies, respect for science, protections against corporate greed, an end to unecessary war. Nor do I want to be driven into the arms of the Republicans, who I hate with a passion for the havoc they are wreaking on our country and the world.
I want there to be another way, a movement of sane progressives who understand what Israel is up against--and what we are all up against, because no matter how fucked-up Bush's response to it, the threat of Islamic fundamentalism is very real--but I don't know if that will ever happen. Right now, I just feel torn.