PHOTO: Cindy Sheehan hugs pro-Bush parent

[Bluebear]

Cindy Sheehan, right, hugs President Bush supporter Gary Qualls of Temple, Texas after the two met at her camp near Crawford, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005. Qualls' son Marine LCPL. Louis W. Qualls was killed in the battle of Fallujah Nov. 14, 2004. Qualls answered an invitation from Sheehan to meet with pro-Bush parents that lost children in Iraq. Qualls was the only parent that came. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

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My deepest, most sincere condolences to Mr. Qualls.


Lance Corporal Louis Qualls, USMCR
June 25th, 1984 - November 16, 2004

[Poiuyt]

1. That must have been one tough conversation.

[ret5hd]

6. maybe grief transcends politics. (nt)

[libertypirate]

28. Grief like thiers comes from love....

politics is bullshit compared to that kind of emotion.

[SammyWinstonJack]

29. It should! That is something the repugs don't understand!

And certainly bush doesn't get it.

[sakabatou]

33. Tru' 'dat

[nashville_brook]

43. when people are able to look each other in eye

without facade (which is one of Cindy's wonderful qualities), they find the good stuff. not everyone is able to shed the front (on either side btw), but when it happens it's a beautiful thing.

i like the idea that "protests" are evolving into a multi-communictive event. not just one message being presented en masse -- gatherings allow dialogue and growth. transformation.

kids and activities for kids are such an asset to these gatherings. making signs. drumming. things that remind us adults how a simple afternoon can change you.

[flakey_foont]

2. I feel great sadness for the father who lost his son

sincere condolences

[Vektor]

3. Those poor parents...

My heart goes out to them.

[funkybutt]

4. That's really touching...

"she only agreed to meet privately Saturday evening with Bush supporters whose relatives have died in Iraq."

http://www.channeloklahoma.com/news/4848842/detail.html

[johnaries]

5. Cindy is truly a class act. Condolences, Mr. Qualls. n/t

[fujiyama]

14. I agree

She really is one amazing person.

I'm impressed that Qualls met with her. My condolences to both parents.

[Erika]

7. Cindy has such class.

I wonder when the right wingers will finally realize W's war was for greed and profit? It has to come.

[karlrschneider]

8. 20 years old. Would that I could trade places with him.

:cry:

[Kadie]

9. Here is another one.

Cindy Sheehan, right, and President Bush supporter Gary Qualls of Temple, Texas hug at her camp near Crawford, Texas, Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005. Qualls' son Marine LCPL. Louis W. Qualls was killed in the battle of Fallujah Nov. 14, 2004. Qualls answered an invitation from Sheehan to meet with pro-Bush parents that lost children in Iraq. Qualls was the only parent that came. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

[Bluebear]

13. Thank you so much, Kadie, I will put that in the OP as well

[Jack Rabbit]

10. That's touching

Their grief heals the national political divide.

[DesEtoiles]

11. Cindy Sheehan - America's Mom

[Renew Deal]

12. That's tough stuff.

Damn

[TOhioLiberal]

15. This should put to rest...

...the Pug line about 'she's doing this because of politics' I've been hearing lately.

This IMHO transcends politics.

[Diane R]

16. I completely understand that father.

My family has heard that horrible knock on the door, too. I think the families who still support bush are still in such grief that they can't afford to face the possibility that they lost their son/husband/daughter/mother for a folly. My parents were like that, too. It lasted about a year or two, but when they came around we all became rabidly anti-war and developed quite a loathing for lying presidents.

My condolences to Mr. Qualls. I hate this war.

[renate]

27. Our condolences to you and your family, Diane

:grouphug:

[leesa]

41. So sorry. It's a defensive mechanism to believe in this war, otherwise

you might explode. Was there anything that anyone said or did that helped you break away from the Big Lie? I am afraid for (and of) the Bush supporters who surround me in my right wing town....I know their acceptance that they were lied to will eventually come, but I am afraid of the price. My next door neighbor's kid killed himself after being in Iraq. She still refers to the Iraqis as the bad guys even though we launched the unprovoked invasion.

[madmax]

42. So sorry for your loss, Diane.

:hug: :cry:

[FreedomAngel82]

17. That really is amazing

Only one showed up. I wonder how many were there who had lost kids. :shrug: We might not ever know but it's so telling of Ms. Sheehan's character. What a wonderful person. You can always tell of how a person is with acts like that. Reminds me of during last year's campaigning there was a photo of Kerry at a campaign stop and he was shaking hands with a Bush supporter and when he was leaving the place he went over and said "hello" to all the Bush supporters on the other side. I love stories like that. It really warms your heart.

[gratuitous]

18. I guess I don't understand

I guess I don't understand what beef the other parents of dead military folks might have with Cindy Sheehan. She's asking a simple question of Mr. Bush: What did Bush mean when he said that people are dying in Iraq for a "noble cause"?

Do the Bush-supporting parents know what Bush is thinking? I deem that unlikely. Do they not care what Mr. Bush was talking about when he claimed that Iraq is a "noble cause"? Or are they satisfied that their children died for empty platitudes because looking too closely at the reasons behind their grief is too much to contemplate?

By meeting with those parents, Cindy Sheehan is showing more grit, determination and courage than the guy cowering in his Crawford hidey-hole.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

35. She's challenging things they desperately want to believe in.

I can understand Mr. Qualls' position. If I ever lost a loved one in combat, I'd want to believe they died for a good reason. And who knows what other delusions I'd buy into in order to justify that belief.

I imagine that, for Cindy Sheehan, the most difficult part of all of this was coming to terms with the fact that her son gave his life, not for some noble cause, but for a neocon power grab. That's a hard truth to handle. Luckily, Cindy made it out the other side, with her righteous anger pointed in the proper direction. But not everyone is as strong as she is.

Qualls looks to be nearing the same point himsef, along with hundreds of other parents just like him. And it will be up to us, and wonderful people like Cindy Sheehan, to give them the compassion and strength they'll need to handle the hard truths.

[Rainscents]

19. They're both class act... Even thou they may have their difference

This is seed planted in Qualls and maybe someday soon, they will become good friends and he will also wake up and see the new light.

[ailsagirl]

21. Well said, Rainscents...

[ailsagirl]

20. What a thoroughbred

She really is something. And I'm so glad Mr. Qualls met
with her.

So sad.

[ultraist]

22. You have to hand it to Mr. Qualls for accepting the invitation and going

My heart goes out to him and his family for his loss. :hug:

[shanti]

23. both of them deserve

a big :hug: for transcending politics and getting down the REASON why they are there - their sons!

this story brought a tear to my eye....

[madeline_con]

24. Qualls was the only parent that came

:cry:

[madmax]

25. Mr. Qualls has more class

than bush. My heart goes out to every family who have lost loved ones in this senseless war, regardless of their politics.

[johnaries]

26. jobycom posted a close-up of Louis Quall's cross in a thread on Greatest

Page:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3849351&mesg_id=3850026

Scroll down to "close up of two crosses", but don't miss the other pictures.

[City Lights]

30. Cindy is such an amazing woman.

It took courage for her to extend an invitation to those who support **. But she did it, and one courageous man reached out and accepted her invitation. They found common ground and they started talking.

** could learn a lot from Ms. Sheehan and Mr. Qualls.

My heart breaks for both of them.

[libertypirate]

31. ---> Read the story

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4338915&mesg_id=4338915

[orleans]

34. what a great story. thanks for the link. (tears) n/t

[neonplaque]

32. awesome. kicked and nominated! Thanks! n/t

[DanCa]

36. May Louis Qualls rest in peace and Cindy is truly wonderful woman

To turn a hawk into a dove is a remarkable feat.

[Talismom]

37. OMG! I was starting to tear up with the first photo, but by the time I saw

Louis Qualls beautiful, young face I just lost it...
I still can't believe this horror...
:cry:

[wildflower]

38. That is beautiful. It makes me think of Peace Pilgrim:

From 1953 to 1981 a silver haired woman calling herself only "Peace Pilgrim" walked more than 25,000 miles on a personal pilgrimage for peace. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food." In the course of her 28 year pilgrimage she touched the hearts, minds, and lives of thousands of individuals all across North America. Her message was both simple and profound. It continues to inspire people all over the world:

"This is the way of peace: overcome evil with good,
and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love."

http://www.peacepilgrim.com/

[seabeyond]

39. this is the america we use to be, this is the america i want to be again

thank you cindy and mr. qualls, in the pain of the loss of your sons, you show us love

amen

[SalmonChantedEvening]

40. See? THIS is what makes America great.

RIP and bless you Louis Qualls. :patriot:

Your father is a credit to your memory.

[nashville_brook]

44. isn't it? what a great thing to talk about later when people come over to

cook out. nice sunday thought. makes me want to make lemonade and pull out photos of protests gone by.

[Rex]

45. Politics sucks and is an evil profession.

These poor people, their loss is unimaginable to me.

RIP to all our brave, dead warriors.

[kittenpants]

46. Last Sunday on the StepOnTopOfThis morning show

there were two parents of soldiers killed from Ohio on, one pro-Bush/war and one speaking out against it. Both of their children had been killed just that week and they disagreed on what should be done in Iraq, why we were there, blindly trusting the president, etc, but at the end they both embraced each other. It really put a lump in my throat to see that.

[ignatius 2]

47. Wow, that is a powerful photo. How sad that grief is the great uniter.

God bless all the parents who have lost their children in this immoral and illegal war.

May Cindy's action finally sound the message that it is time to bring them all home.

[Kire]

48. This is so beautiful.

Keep Mr. Qualls number in your rolodex, Cindy.

[emdee]

49. How powerful. Thank you for posting it. n/t

n/t

[Bucky]

50. I can't imagine their pain. I'd be catatonic. I'd have to believe it was

...for something noble that my child died. I'd like to think I could find actions to transform my grief into something positive and patriotic, whether pro war or anti war. I really don't know if I could be that strong. It just boggles my mind. But the thought of this, or of this happening to my daughter, is beyond what I can imagine.

God bless all our troops. Even those going overboard in Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, while certainly they should be held accountable for their crimes, are ultimately only doing what our leaders sent them in to do. If they didn't follow direct orders, they sure were following implied directives and they sure were being misinformed about Iraq's connection to al-Qaeda.

God I hate those bastards in the White House.

[Clark2008]

51. And those theo-cons think they're Christian.

This, my friends, is the true spirit of Christianity.

Thank you for posting this. You've done my heart good this evening!

:hug:

[Obamarama]

52. How will take for the Freepers to turn against Qualls?

Even though Qualls is a bush supporter, I'm willing to bet that the asshat Freepers will eviscerate the poor guy in short order.

[cloud75]

53. we are all americans.. tears from me