Cindy Sheehan gained fame
in the summer of 2005 for her anti-war activism and her
vigil outside of President George W. Bush's Texas ranch.
Sheehan's son, Casey,
served in Iraq with the U.S. Army, losing his life on
April 4, 2004.
On June 18, 2004,
President Bush met with Cindy Sheehan and other parents
who had lost sons or daughters in the war. This meeting
took place at Fort Lewis, an Army base near Tacoma,
Washington. After Casey's death, Cindy Sheehan co-founded
Gold Star Families for Peace, and began making anti-war
and anti-Bush speeches.
On August 6, 2005,
Sheehan began a demonstration outside President Bush's
ranch in Crawford, Texas, attracting major media coverage
and sparking nation-wide discussion over her role, and
the continued war in Iraq.
After her initial
demonstration in Crawford, Texas ended, Sheehan
participated in other protests around the nation and gave
speeches against the war and against President
Bush.
In the summer of 2006,
Cindy Sheehan used some of the money she received from
her son's death to purchase land in Crawford, Texas. She
did this in order to facilitate more anti-war and
anti-Bush protests and demonstrations.
On August 9, 2007, Cindy
Sheehan announced her intention to run as an independent
candidate for Congress against House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi. Sheehan officially opened her campaign
headquarters in San Francisco on December 8, 2007. Cindy
Sheehan began a petition drive to collect 10,198 valid
signatures, the requirement for her to get on the ballot
as an independent candidate for U.S. House. On August 8,
2008, Sheehan officially qualified as a candidate on the
ballot. Sheehan's official campaign website is at
http://www.cindyforcongress.org/.
Family:
Husband-- Patrick Sheehan
(who filed for divorce on August 12, 2005)
