Cindy Sheehan American anti-war activist and politician Date of Birth: 10.07.1957 Country: USA

1. Early Life and Family
2. Anti-War Activism
3. International Exposure
4. Political Activism
5. Radio Show and Other Activities

Early Life and Family

Cindy Sheehan was born in Inglewood, California, in 1957. Her father worked at Lockheed, while her mother raised their children. She received an honors degree from Cerritos College and studied history at the University of California. She served as a youth minister at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Vacaville, California, for eight years and also coordinated a youth outreach program at Vacaville High School. In 1977, she married Patrick Sheehan; they had four children, including Casey Sheehan (born in 1979), who died in Iraq on April 4, 2004. Patrick and Cindy divorced in 2005.

Anti-War Activism

Sheehan's anti-war campaign began with her initial questioning of the urgency of the invasion of Iraq, but she did not become active in anti-war protests until her son's death. Sheehan and other military family members met with United States President George W. Bush in June 2004, approximately three months after her son's death. In a June 24, 2004, interview shortly after the meeting, she stated, "We did not feel like this war was being run straight. The President kept changing his reasons for being there, as each reason became disproved." She, however, also stated at that time that President Bush was "...sincere in his desire for freedom for the people of Iraq. I know that he feels the pain of our loss. And I know that he's a man of God."

Sheehan gave another interview on October 4, 2004, stating that she did not understand the reasons for the invasion of Iraq and never believed that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States. She further stated that it was her son's death that brought her to speak out against the war. During the United States presidential inauguration in January 2005, Sheehan traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak at the opening of the "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War" exhibit, which displayed soldiers' boots representing the lives of American military casualties. She also traveled with the exhibit to other cities and donated her son Casey's boots to the exhibit, stating, "These boots represent one more grieving family."

Sheehan was one of nine founding members of Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization she created in January 2005 with other families she met at the inauguration. The organization aims to end the war in Iraq and provide support to the families of soldiers killed in Iraq.

International Exposure

Sheehan gained international attention in early August 2005 when she traveled to the President's Texas ranch, demanding a meeting with the President. She was quoted as telling members of Veterans for Peace, "I'm going to say [to Bush], 'You tell me that my son died for a noble cause.' And when he starts talking about freedom and democracy, I'm going to say, 'Bullshit. Tell me the truth. Tell me that my son died for oil. Tell me that my son died to make your friends rich...Tell me that, but do not tell me that my son died for freedom and democracy.'" She also vowed not to pay her 2004 federal income tax because her son was killed that year.

Political Activism

On October 26, 2005, Sheehan and 28 other protesters were arrested during a sit-in at the White House. On December 10, 2005, in London, Sheehan addressed the Stop the War Coalition's "World Peace Conference." Later that night, she attended the London premiere of the play "Peace Mom," written by Nobel Laureate in Literature Dario Fo and based on Fo's meeting with Sheehan. On December 13 of that year, Sheehan visited Ireland, where she met with Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern. She voiced her objection to U.S. warplanes refueling at Shannon Airport en route to the war in Iraq. On January 31, 2006, Sheehan was arrested by Capitol Police wearing a T-shirt that read "2245 Dead. How Many More?"

On March 7, 2006, Sheehan was arrested in New York City outside the United Nations' U.S. Mission during a protest with Iraqi women against the war. While speaking on MSNBC, she called Bush "the biggest terrorist in the world," "worse than Osama bin Laden," and said that she would rather live under then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez than Bush. On December 10, 2009, she spoke in the streets of Oslo, Norway, against President Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.

On May 2, 2011, Sheehan said that she believed the killing of Osama bin Laden was a hoax, stating: "If you believe this new story about Osama bin Laden, you're an idiot." She said that the U.S. was a "lying, killing Empire" and told Americans that they are "brainwashed," advising them to "take down their flags." In October 2011, Sheehan was arrested in Sacramento while participating in an Occupy Wall Street protest.

Despite an initial agreement with the Socialist Party USA (SPUSA) to run on their ticket for the 2012 presidential election, the party's national convention, on October 15, 2011, voted against placing her on the party's vice-presidential line, determining that she was not a party member; the vice-presidential nomination ultimately went to Alejandro Mendoza, a Texan Socialist.

Radio Show and Other Activities

Sheehan has hosted a radio show since 2009. She has interviewed prominent activists and world leaders, including Howard Zinn, Ray McGovern, Ann Wright, and Hugo Chávez.

In the 2012 United States presidential election, Sheehan ran for vice president on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket, with Roseanne Barr as the presidential candidate, receiving 6th place in the popular vote.