Cindy Sheehan, mother of Casey Sheehan, who died in Iraq, published an open letter on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2007 whereby she announced her decision to return to a non-activist life apart from the anti-war movement. Cindy Sheehan first rose to prominence as an activist after she lost her son to the Iraq War. In the summer of 2005, she set up a camp outside of George Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch and held vigil in order to meet with the President and ask him what noble cause her son had died for. While Bush refused to meet her, the camp filled with like-minded opponents of the war. Those opposed to her message of immediate withdrawal from Iraq also gathered in a counter-demonstration camp nearby that summer. Since then, she has been villified by war supporters and Democrats as she continued to campaign tirelessly for an end to the war across the country and around the world.

Cindy Sheehan writes, in part: I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called "Face" of the American anti-war movement. Especially since I renounced any tie I have remaining with the Democratic Party.... Being called an "attention whore" and being told "good riddance" are some of the more milder rebukes.

... I was the darling of the so-called left as long as I limited my protests to George Bush and the Republican Party.... However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used.

... Casey died for a country which cares more about who will be the next American Idol than how many people will be killed in the next few months while Democrats and Republicans play politics with human lives....

This is my resignation letter as the "face" of the American anti-war movement.... This system forcefully resists being helped and eats up the people who try to help it. I am getting out before it totally consumes me or anymore people that I love and the rest of my resources.

Good-bye America ...you are not the country that I love and I finally realized no matter how much I sacrifice, I can’t make you be that country unless you want it.

It’s up to you now.

"Good Riddance Attention Whore" · Read More: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 · Democracy Now Audio Report

Previous Indybay Features: Month-Long Series of Events with Military Resisters | Veterans and Activists Slam “Illegal” Iraq War | Vacaville Resident Cindy Sheehan Camps in Crawford | Sacramento Supports Cindy Sheehan | Cities and Towns Around the Country Hold August 17th Vigils | Photos From Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas | Sacramento Shows Support for Cindy Sheehan | Bay Area Health Workers Join Common Ground Clinic in New Orleans | Hundreds of thousands around the US protest war on September 24th | Protesters To Pelosi: "Not One More Dime for War" | Bay Area to "Welcome Cindy Home With Love" | Sacramento Anti-War Protest Draws Hundreds | Hundreds in Sacramento Demand Return of National Guard from Iraq | The World Can't Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime Protests on November 2nd | Teach-ins, Day of Action Demand Clemency for Stanley "Tookie" Williams | Students Arrested at Powell Protest Accuse Police of Targetting Muslims | Cindy Sheehan at UC Davis | International Women's Day to Be Marked by Anti-War Protests | Troops Home Fast in DC, SF, and Sacramento Area | Impeachment Movement Heats Up With Beginning of New Congressional Term | International Protests Against Torture and Detention | Cindy Sheehan and Norman Solomon Blast Democrats for their Role as the War Party | Sheehan and Others Converge Upon Matsui's Home · Related Indybay Newswire Posts and Calendar Events