The State of The Union !

Dallas Morning News Letters to the Editor

Letters: Cindy Sheehan's house arrest
09:13 AM CST on Friday, February 3, 2006

Associated Press
Security escorted Cindy Sheehan from the House chamber before the State of the Union address Tuesday.

She is a disgrace to her son and our troops

Re: "On the Sidelines – Sheehan is arrested, removed from gallery," Wednesday news story.
I was elated to learn Cindy Sheehan was arrested and taken out in handcuffs at President Bush's State of the Union message. She is a disgrace to her son and every brave troop fighting in Iraq.
The media never fail to give her exactly what she wants – worldwide attention – whether it be good or bad.

Jean Roberts, Addison
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The new first lady of civil rights

Re: "On the Sidelines – Sheehan is arrested, removed from gallery," Wednesday news story.
This newspaper devoted 111 words to one of the most remarkable events to take place Tuesday, more remarkable than the grandiloquent rhetoric of President Bush's address.
Cindy Sheehan was arrested in the House chamber minutes before the State of the Union address, after already being seated. She was not being disorderly. She was wearing a constitutionally protected T-shirt that read, "2245 Dead. How many more?"
Regardless of what you think of Ms. Sheehan, her free speech was abridged. Moments before the president was to deliver a speech that extolled the virtues of democracy and civil liberties, our government used Stalinist tactics to censor Ms. Sheehan.
Any American who is not outraged is not a patriot.
On Monday, the first lady of the civil rights movement died. On Tuesday, the torch was passed to Cindy Sheehan.

George Henson, Dallas
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Punitive measures are out of control

Re: "On the Sidelines – Sheehan is arrested, removed from gallery," Wednesday news story.
The arrest of "peace mom" Cindy Sheehan in the House visitors' gallery Tuesday evening represents just the latest incident in a long line of punitive measures used against anyone who dares to assert the right to freedom of speech in view of the president.
A fuller story would have included that Ms. Sheehan was assaulted, battered and handcuffed by security officer Mike Weight, although she offered no resistance and was doing nothing but sitting quietly and wearing a T-shirt with the printed words: "2245 Dead. How many more?"
Isn't this behavior exactly what the Gestapo used with anyone who criticized or opposed the Fuhrer, and what the Myanmar and Chinese regimes are doing to peaceful protesters ?

Samuel Bostaph, Arlington

source: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/letters/stories/DN-friartletters_0203edi.ART.State.Edition1.1daa0f19.html