August 18, 2005

Street Talk by Carol Rosen

What do you think about Vacaville’s Cindy Sheehan, who lost a son in the Iraq War and who is camped in a ravine near President Bush’s Crawford, Texas vacation home? What do you think the President should do in response
to her?
(Asked at Almaden Oaks Plaza)

“I think it’s brave of her to try to get her voice heard, because it’s kind of hard to get heard these days. I hope the president will see her, but it will be hard because he claims to be doing the right thing.”

Jennifer Maxon, 18
Almaden / Freshman at Linfield College in Oregon


“No. 1, my heart goes out to her and to all of the people that have lost loved ones in this very unnecessary war. I believe that President Bush should meet with her. She met with him before, but she was in shock. Now she’s woken up and realized she’ll never see her son again and she’s also realized what this war is for. It’s not to hunt down weapons of mass destruction that the administration knew the country didn’t have. It’s just a bunch of lies. ”

Karen Maor, 50
Almaden / Science teacher, Hillbrook School


“I understand how she feels, I’ve seen my relatives go to war. I certainly wouldn’t have the wherewithal to do what she’s doing. I hope the president will end the war, but talking to Bush is like talking to a mule or to a wall.”

Esther Jacobson, 69
Almaden / Retired


“I feel a lot of compassion for her because of what happened to her son. But I think, unfortunately, that the war is necessary. I would like to see the president acknowledge her, it would be a goodwill gesture for him to talk with her. But I disagree with what she said about him and his policies..”

Susan Berlini
Almaden / Homemaker


“I think the president should listen to her and respect her feelings because if my son had died I’d probably be doing the same thing, but I am a Bush supporter. I even worked for the Bush/Cheney campaign.”

Jamie DeMaria, 42
Almaden / Hair stylist


“I think she’s bringing attention to a subject that’s near and dear to all of our hearts, which is the end of this war.

In my opinion, the war on terror, which they are now changing the name of, whatever they call it doesn’t make it right. It (the war in Iraq) is ‘unwinnable’ and will erupt into a civil war. It has made our country more unsafe. I think the president should give each person five minutes, he should at least give five minutes thought to her cause since she’s camped out there in that ravine in the heat. They actually should have named the war “Operation Iraqi Liberation” and then called it by its acronym. ”

Nick Moezidis, 36
Almaden / Starting a business


“For quite some time now, I thought he ought to respond to her by getting out there. He might at least listen to her talk a little bit. He’s on a ‘working vacation.’ The man is so convinced he’s that what he’s doing is correct. I don’t think any of this will cut down terrorism.”

Doug Wood, 78
Almaden / Retired