Last year, Cindy Sheehan came to Lowell High School to talk to students in an assembly about why she was against the war. Though I myself am against the war in Iraq, I was not impressed by her speech. So when I picked up the San Francisco Chronicle this morning to find the headlines Cindy Sheehan quits the anti-war life , I was not impressed nor surprised.

For any parent, the loss of a child is devastating. I found it commendable that Sheehan had the courage to take the picture of her son and set up a camp outside of President Bush’s ranch in Texas. But Sheehan is not the best of speakers. When I heard her speak to our school, her main argument for condemning the War in Iraq was because it lead to the death of her son. Though it’s sad that she lost her son, in a political presentation you’re going to need more than just that to support your stance.

With Sheehan leaving the anti-war spectrum, I think anti-war activists haven’t lost much, other than someone to attract publicity. As Sam Bowman said in the 2 cents section of the Chronicle, “her rhetoric only reinforces the stereotype of the whiny, unrealistic anti-war activist.” – Maahum Chaudhry