Demagogue

A Wisconsin woman who has followed Cindy Sheehan's anti-war vigil offered her thoughts in this letter to the editor of Monday's USA Today:

I understand she has a right to voice her opinion and is probably still mourning the loss of her son. But the story said her son "volunteered" for his assignment. He probably died doing what he wanted to do.

Before making public such a speculation as this, you'd think a letter writer would have made at least some effort to find out if Casey Sheehan's wishes had been made clear in press reports.

Based on what his mother has told reporters and friends, Casey did not die "doing what he wanted to do." As this Associated Press article reports:

Although [Casey Sheehan] also opposed the war, he didn't try to back out (of service).

So, unless this Wisconsin woman believes that Cindy Sheehan is a pathological liar, her guess about what Casey wanted was wrong.

Like Casey Sheehan, thousands of young people who are now serving in Iraq also "volunteered." But it's safe to assume that many, if not most, of them signed up with the expectation that their country would put them in harm's way only for a legitimate and compelling reason.

In my book, it's doesn't qualify as legitimate or compelling to invade a country on the phony premise that it held weapons of mass destruction and the nuanced suggestion that it was connected to the 9/11 attacks.