Cindy Sheehan's arrest outside the State of the Union Address was not he first time a dead soldier's mom had been arrested at a Bush speech.
During the 2004 election, I watched as another dead soldier's mom was not only physically ejected from President Bush's re-election rally, but then arrested, handcuffed and taken to jail. It was stunning. My outrage reduced me to tears, and still does.
That is when I decided to run for Congress!
I never wanted to be a `politician', never wanted to run for elected office. When my husband, Bob, retired after 23 years in the Army, I got to realize my dream by going to law school and practicing criminal law. You've no idea how many lawyers want to follow the example set by Atticus Finch, and I was one of them.
I decided to run for Congress! because it was the right thing to do. I love my country and I love my kids. I will fight and fight fearlessly (I've got that Irish temper) to protect my family and my home - and my country because I've no doubt that our country has been and can be a beacon of hope, justice and progress. Like you, I consider myself an unwavering patriot. We express our patriotism through our actions, service and sacrifice, not clever rhetoric.
Watching that dead soldier's mom, herself a true patriot, being lead away in handcuffs for simply questioning the war woke me up.
We can argue about the war in Iraq, and we will. But we cannot argue with that mom's sacrifice for her country. We cannot argue with her son's patriotism that led him to volunteer, fight, and die for his country.
Both our boys followed their dad into the Army, and our oldest, Rob, is now serving in Iraq. I'm running because this Congress, with the exception of folks like Jack Murtha, has proved unworthy of their sacrifice and service.
Why isn't Congress fighting as hard for our country as my sons, and so many others' sons and daughters, are fighting for our country?
I will fight for a withdrawal strategy in Iraq that is worthy of every man and woman serving in uniform.
I will fight to hold accountable those ungrateful cynics and political hacks who had that dead soldier's mom ejected from a public meeting and jailed.
I will fight to restore integrity to our government so it is worthy of her son's love for his country - because he gave everything and so did she. It is certainly the least that we can and should do.