I am writing this open letter to you both on the day after Veteran's
Day. A day that has so much more meaning to me since my son Casey
was KIA in Iraq for absolutely no reason but to line the pockets of
the war machine. I cried in front of his symbolic tombstone at
Arlington Northeast in Philadelphia and I dreamed of him before I
awakened. Casey's "tombstone" was planted in the ground directly
across from Liberty Hall which was the birth place of our Republic.
How tragic it was to see 2842 tombstones of our brave young people
who have been killed by people who are trampling all over our
Constitution and making a mockery out of the separations of power
and the original intent of that document. 2842 citizens who were
willing to volunteer for service and were killed by people who lied
to the world to send them to invade and occupy a country in a war of
aggression that has killed almost a million Iraqi citizens. How
tragic it is that you both, our newly elected Democratic leadership
are already talking about abrogating their Constitutional
responsibilities, again.

We the people are shocked that you two are already stridently saying
over and over again that impeachment is "off the table." Since the
historic Nov. 7th elections, I have talked to a boat-load of
Americans who want impeachment on the table. We activists worked
hard to make these elections about national issues, like the illegal
and immoral occupation of Iraq, and the culture of corruption that,
especially you, Ms. Pelosi have been railing against for months now.
And you, Mr. Conyers, have already written a brilliant and detailed
indictment of BushCo. We the people are definitely puzzled by your
rhetoric.

We the people put the Democrats back into power because we want to
see a change in this country and a rejection of politics as usual.
We want politics as unusual. We want to see the issue of impeachment
and a speedy and safe withdrawal of our troops from Iraq de-
politicized and brought into the realm of "right and wrong" where
these issues belong, not "right and left."

We the people are here to tell you that we are the ones that are
going to be setting the table, now. For too many years, we have
allowed you people, who are just like us and elected by us and from
us, to tell us what the agenda will be. Like I told George in a
recent letter to him (no response yet, hmm), a sleeping giant has
been awakened in this country and we are not falling asleep again
just because the Democrats, only with grassroots involvement and
commitment, are back in power in Congress.

It turns our stomachs when you talk about "working" with the
Republicans. First of all, these people have allowed BushCo free
rein in committing their high crimes and misdemeanors and crimes
against humanity. Why would you want to work with murderers, liars,
and crooks? When one works with criminals, one becomes complicit and
culpable for those crimes. We elected you all to be different, not
more of the same.

Secondly, and more importantly, BushCo have openly committed
egregious crimes which they have all admitted to. The question
really isn't: should they be impeached, but why haven't they been
impeached, removed from office and criminally charged and tried for
these crimes, yet? I believe that when Congressional Representatives
and Senators are sworn into office they take an oath to protect the
constitution, not to protect, aid, and abet criminals. The
investigation and eventual rubber stamp to begin impeachment
proceedings against Nixon was a bi-partisan effort and Nixon wasn't
even investigated for the level of crimes that BushCo should be
investigated for.

We realize that you have a tremendous and daunting task before you
both. We know for six years that your governmental body has been
busy giving its power away to a maniac who has abused and misused
that power so incompetently and tragically. However, to say that
impeachment can't be one of the issues that Congress begins
immediate work on is not giving you all enough credit. We know that
you can do it! We have confidence in your abilities. Impeachment has
been done before in our country and it has never before been so
urgent.

How many times has George said that the troops aren't coming home
while he is president? How many times has BushCo lied to us and
admitted those lies? Or been caught in those lies? How many people
have they killed for greed of money and power and how many lives
have been destroyed by them? How many laws have BushCo broken and
admitted to breaking? How many people have they physically and
mentally wounded by torture and by sending our brave young people
wrongly to Iraq and not supporting them when they get there? How
much longer will you allow them to violate and desecrate everything
that we hold dear as Americans and human beings?

We the people demand that you do your duties as officers and
protectors of our Constitution and we demand that you do your duties
as members of humanity to call a halt to the crimes against humanity
of the Bush regime.

When the 110th Congress is seated on January 3rd, we the people, who
also have a duty to our Constitution (We the People is the first
line) and a duty to humanity will be walking the halls of your
offices to tell you what our agenda is and what we want on the table.

I admire and respect both of you and I know you will do the right
thing, but you better heed the will of we the people, or we will
find other people who will. I hope you do believe that we want you
to represent us and not the special interests of the war machine.

We the people are serious about true change this time and we are
willing to walk, work, sit, stand, write, travel, sweat, freeze, be
arrested, and scream for these changes.

Impeachment and removal from office are not for the squeamish or
faint of heart, but we are neither of those things. We are all brave
and (p)(m)atriotic Americans who realize that healing of the
political divide that has characterized the Bush regime will only
begin when our young people and the people of Iraq see justice for
all of the death and misery that they have afflicted humanity with.
Our children who have been sent to early graves or have to live the
rest of their lives with PTSD or missing limbs, and the people of
Iraq (not to mention the victims of Katrina) are crying out for this
justice. Justice is meted out everyday in our world and if BushCo
are not brought to justice then justice loses its meaning and
effectiveness.

Do it for Casey, do it for his buddies, do it for the people of
Iraq, do it for the people who were devastated by Katrina, do it to
bring legitimacy back to Congress and our Constitution, do it to
raise our reputation in the international community, do it just
because it is the right thing to do.

See you on January 3rd.

Peace soon,

Cindy Sheehan