A Letter to Cindy Sheehan

Dear Cindy,

First off, I'd like to offer my condolences for your loss. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a child, and I hope to never find out.

Secondly, I know that what you're doing right now is difficult, and takes a lot of courage and conviction. I've read the rumors of your divorce, and don't know where you find the strength to keep on. I imagine moving forward must feel like your only option. If I were religious, I'd pray for you, but since I'm not I can only tell you that I believe what you're doing is of vital importance.

That brings me to the reason I'm writing. I heard a portion of your appearance on Talk of the Nation while in the car earlier today, and feel that the best support I can offer is a little piece of advice. Cindy, you've stepped into the spotlight as an anti-war Mom. The public eye is on you, and media's wanting to talk to you, and some vehemently oppose you. It's time to put the big girl panties on.

You simply can not continue as you are now. Faking a bad connection on a nationwide talk show, refusing to discuss your meeting with the president, and hanging up before your negotiated time are the actions of a teenage girl caught necking in a car and not wanting to face the 'rents, not the actions of a mature, thoughtful woman who has suffered a great loss and is attempting to protect the soldiers. You're in the limelight. You cannot afford to be seen as a flake, which is what your current behavior suggests. As soon as you hung up, the air waves were flooded with a procession of calm, polite pro-war parents. In comparison, you appeared rude and unfriendly. I've been against the war since the beginning, and I sympathized with the pro-war parents.Why? Because they seemed calm and sincere, ready to answer mildly hostile questions and prepared to calmly state and restate their case.

Public relations, Cindy. Pay attention to yours. You've shouldered a big responsibility, and you have to be equal to the task. Treat the media nicely. They are your only access point to most voting Americans. Don't cut the interview off early. Tough it out. Don't lie. Don't let it look like you're lying. Don't get defensive. You're doing something important. If you don't sound like you believe you're doing the right thing, no one will believe you're doing the right thing.

I have no real expectation that you'll ever read this. If you are the person you appeared on the radio, you'll get to the first word of criticism and stop. And if that's true, then you have truly lost. We have truly lost. But here's hoping that someone near you tells you the truth about how you're sounding, and guides you away from that.

Your ally against the war,

Theresa.