What do President Bush and Czar Nicholas II have in common? Depends on who you ask, but someone in the White House should tell the President the story of Bloody Sunday.
For most of Russian history, the Czar was protected from the wrath of the disenfranchised by the myth that it was the bureaucracy that was uncaring of their woes. It was believed that he would save them, if only he knew of their strife. With this in mind, a huge worker procession marched to the Czar's palace in the winter of 1905. They chanted "God save the Czar." They were there to plead only for his attention. They wanted him to know of their suffering. The police opened fire on their entirely peaceful demonstration.
These were not communists. They were simply desperate citizens. The day was Bloody Sunday. It was the first domino in what became the Russian Revolution.
President Bush is not the Czar. Nor is Sheehan starving. But she is poised to dispel a great myth. To this day the public has clung to the belief that the President cares. Despite all reason we still want to a believe that he is a compassionate conservative. That he must make difficult choices, but wants what is best for our people. He has survived the Abu Ghraib, Enron, and Plame scandals by our simple assumption that he would not be involved in such things.
Sheehan has appealed to the Czar, will he open his doors or open fire?