Cindy Sheehan's "Bring Them Home Now" tour arrived in Buffalo on Monday, but the mother of a fallen U.S. soldier, and thorn in President Bush's side for much of the summer, is not with them.
The tour's events start with an all-day encampment at Lafayette Square capped by an anti-war rally and vigil to continue the protests to the United States' participation in the Iraq war.
Starting from President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Tex., the anti-war tour will travel the country on three different circuits - called the North, Central and South tours - all running concurrently. The logistics of the tour means that some stops, like Buffalo, will not be visited by Sheehan herself.
Sheehan's absence has come as a disappointment to some, including UB senior Marc Savel.
"The importance is diminished in my eyes," said Savel, a history major. "I feel like I'm getting a cover band."
Though Sheehan herself will not be in attendance, the tour will bring a number of other speakers to the spotlight, all of whom are either relatives of deceased veterans or veterans themselves. Many come from anti-war groups such as Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Veterans for Peace.
Pam Tritto, the Western New York chapter coordinator of Veterans for Peace, said the main objective of the tour's stop in Buffalo is to lobby local congressmen to take the group's protests to Washington D.C., with plans to meet with Rep. Brian Higgins. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, also a Democrat, has already given her support, according to Tritto.
Sheehan has done much to bring new attention to the anti-war movement, and many had found the media coverage of her Texas vigil to be too much.
"There has been a movement since before we went into Afghanistan," Tritto said. "What she has done is reenergize the movement."
Sheehan had previously been petitioning President Bush for a meeting to discuss his reasoning for entering Iraq, with no results.
"More and more people believe it was a mistake to go there in the first place," Tritto said.
Tritto said another objective is the continuing request to find out President Bush's reasoning behind American involvement in Iraq.
"We need to know that (the reason for military action) was a very good reason," she said. "That's not the case right now, and I think we owe it to the troops over there, and to the mission, to ask those questions."
Tritto also responded to people who feel that the anti-war movement undermines the troops.
"I don't see the connection at all, there are many, many veterans in the movement," said Tritto, who is also a veteran. "People back home that want to make the government accountable just want to feel confident that the reason we go to war is truly in defense of our country."
Students, meanwhile, are conflicted about the tour's arrival. While the philosophy of the movement does not appear to be in question, its execution has been questioned. And to many others, it has arrived unnoticed,
"I think it's fine as long as it doesn't irritate civilians who are not directly responsible for the war by impeding daily life," said Eric Hillery, a junior English and psychology major. "I just hope the protest isn't largely manned by over-privileged wannabe hippies who don't truly care about what's going on there."
Photo: Courtesy of Mitchell Kish
