Cindy Sheehan on our de facto aristocracy, obliging politicians, and more

Cindy Sheehan: Headlines of the Near Future

Brad and Angelina: Unwilling to pay the price of fame.

Although I can’t escape the imperial goings on around the globe — unconditional peace always being my main focus and motivation — I am running for governor of California. However, if California is managed correctly we could easily be a global force for awesomeness (had to say it, since I am a “Valley Girl”). So, lately, I have been spending most of my time focusing on the incumbent — former Moonbeam, Jerry Brown (D).

Besides recently signing legislation approving more hydrofracturing in California and giving California’s surplus funds to private prisons to alleviate horrendous overcrowding (instead of releasing non-violent offenders and those with no risk of recidivism), he also recently signed another bill into law which would protect the elite. This is the headline of the article explaining the new law: “Gov. Brown signs bills aimed at paparazzi.”

The article, which appeared in the September 24th edition of the Los Angeles Times, shows a picture of celeb Brad Pitt carrying a child and goes on to explain:

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Tuesday a measure sought by celebrities to protect their children’s privacy… The governor’s signature on the privacy measure will make it a misdemeanor to attempt to photograph or videotape a child in a harassing manner if the image is being taken because the child’s parent is a celebrity or public official.

The measure drew strong support from Hollywood celebrities. Actresses Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry testified before the Legislature that when they take their children out in public, they are harassed by paparazzi.

The law, which takes effect Jan. 1, also increases the penalty for harassment, which is currently as much as six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. The new penalty for harassment of children by photographers or video camera operators is as long as a year in jail and a possible fine of $10,000.

There are all kinds of problems with this law and this report. For the record, I am not in favor of anyone harassing anybody’s child — but singling out the children of celebrities and public officials for this extraordinary and special treatment tells other parents all over the state who aren’t celebrities that their children can be photographed in parking lots, dressing rooms, grocery stores, and wherever else Big Brother’s snoopy and perverted gaze lands. If I am not mistaken, don’t the members of the Hollywood elite (who incidentally give hundreds of thousands of dollars to Democrats in general and Brown specifically) choose to go into their fields? Is part of the reason so they will be well known and make obscene amounts of money? Most other jobs, the paparazzi stay away from. (Hint-Hint).

But if I do win as governor of California in 2014, here is the headline that the papers may print: “Gov. Sheehan signs bill aimed at military recruiters.” The article would go on to say something like this:

Gov. Cindy Sheehan signed into law Tuesday a measure sought by parents and peacemongers everywhere to protect their children’s privacy and lives…The governor’s signature on the measure overturning the provision in the Federal law No Child Left Behind that allows military recruiters free access to, not only the directory information of all students, but to the students themselves on campus, will make it a felony for a military recruiter to invade the privacy of families and trespass on school property.

The measure drew strong support from parents everywhere. Hundreds of mothers testified to the state Legislature that their children have been preyed upon and lied to by military recruiters and if anyone wants to actually join such a criminal institution, he/she can visit the nearest recruitment office.

The office of Governor Sheehan issued this statement today: “This is one more step in building a California that leads the nation in peaceful solutions and the protection of our families and communities. Hand in hand with this law will be the upcoming jobs programs and significant reduction in University fees for our young people. Governor Sheehan and her family know too well that being pawns of the US Empire is not an option.”

I had four children and all of them, even the girls were aggressively preyed upon by military recruiters in high school, but they all rejected that route — even my son Casey who ended up joining the military and being killed for lies and profit in Iraq.

Casey had other dreams besides going into the military. He was in a local community college majoring in theater and then he planned on going to a four-year college to finish his degree and become an elementary school teacher. As a very devote Catholic, he was also recruited somewhat heavily to become a priest, but Casey adored children and wanted a family of his own.

Casey’s vision of his future was thwarted by an Army recruiter who got ahold of him at a “job fair” at his school and made many promises to him that were broken, but the only one that tore my heart to shreds was the one where he promised Casey: “Sheehan, tell your mom not to worry because you scored so high on the ASVAB (military aptitude) tests that you’ll never see combat even if there is a war.” Casey was promised that he could be a chaplain’s assistant but ended up being shoved into the MOS of Humvee mechanic, and he was killed in combat in Baghdad a few days after he and his unit had arrived there. See, the difference between Governor Brown and a future Governor Sheehan is that I am intimately involved in the heartache of an uncontrolled military empire. My struggle for peace is the people’s struggle for stability, security and equality.

Casey had a vision for the future and so does his mom. I want to live in a state that puts ALL the people above corporate profit and power. A better world is possible, but only by changing direction and getting there by a different, yet easier and better way.

The 1% has had free rein over our political processes for years — if 1% of the population can be a force to pass legislation, just allow your minds to wonder and dream of the untapped potential of the other 99%.