JUAN TORRES: Juan Torres, father.

STATE SEN. BECKY LOUREY: Juan, father --

JUAN TORRES: Juan Torres.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: And Sergio Torres, father.

STATE SEN. BECKY LOUREY: And Sergio, father, right here. And for a few remarks from me personally, I do believe that a conversation is incredibly valuable. If North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones, who dubbed French fries “freedom fries,” can change his mind and offer a resolution because it is clear now from all the intelligence that the presence ever our troops in Iraq is making the insurgency stronger, if Congressman Walter Jones can change his mind, so can our President Bush.

AMY GOODMAN: Minnesota State Senator, Becky Lourey, speaking at Camp Casey, Friday afternoon. She lost her son Matt this past May in Iraq. After the news conference, military families, veterans and others held a prayer vigil in front of the more than 840 crosses planted in the campgrounds representing soldiers who have been killed in Iraq. They then boarded vans and headed towards President Bush's property to deliver the letter. Leading the procession were two women, Beatriz Saldivar, whose nephew Daniel Torres was killed in Iraq, and Mimi Evans whose son, a marine, is awaiting deployment. They were stopped at a checkpoint on the way to Bush's ranch.

SECRET SERVICE: Hello. How are you doing? I'm B.J. Flowers, Secret Service. How are you doing? What can I do for you this morning?

MIMI EVANS: Hello, we have something for the President of the United States. My name is Mimi Evans. I’m with Military Families Speak Out, and I have a letter for the President.

SECRET SERVICE: Okay.

MIMI EVANS: And this letter says --

SECRET SERVICE: Well, ma'am, I cannot accept --

MIMI EVANS: I'm not reading it, and I know you cannot accept it.

SECRET SERVICE: Okay, I can’t accept it, and I don’t believe there's anyone from staff here to take your letter at the moment, okay?

MIMI EVANS: Will they be here later?

SECRET SERVICE: I don't anticipate them to be here. No, ma’am. Sometimes they’re here –

BEATRIZ SALDIVAR: Can you call somebody?

SECRET SERVICE: No. Can’t call them down here. That's up to them whether they want to be down here, you know, to address any complaints or [inaudible] --

BEATRIZ SALDIVAR: Can you ask them that all the mothers of the fallen soldiers are asking somebody from the White House to come in and accept this letter?

SECRET SERVICE: They -- there's no one here to accept it, ma'am. I'm sorry. I can’t take it. Thank you.

MIMI EVANS: As Secret Service, would you be able to convey the message that we are still down at the camp, and we intend to stay there, the mothers and the families, please?

SECRET SERVICE: I will relay that information.

MIMI EVANS: We are not going anywhere.

SECRET SERVICE: Okay. Very good.

MIMI EVANS: Thank you.

AMY GOODMAN: Refusing to be turned away, Mimi Evans and Beatriz Saldivar walked hand in hand up to the barriers blockading the entrance to President Bush's estate. They dropped the letter on the ground and laid flowers on top. This is Beatriz Saldivar.

BEATRIZ SALDIVAR: I want to say to President Bush one thing, okay, and in the name of Cindy and all the mothers, that letter that's laying there with those precious flowers on top is laying there. Our soldiers when they killed -- get killed in Iraq, the men next to them, the other fellow soldiers, picks up their body, their pieces. Sometimes the bodies are not recognized. Sometimes they come back in one piece, and sometimes they have their eyes open and they're dead. We ask you, President, to have the courage to pick up that letter. It’s just a simple letter. We cannot pick up our sons and daughters and husbands and nephews, but you can -- we cannot bring them back alive, but you can have the courage to pick up that letter and talk to this nation and the world. The whole world is listening.

AMY GOODMAN: Beatriz Saldivar, her nephew Daniel Torres, died in Iraq earlier this year. The Secret Service told the women and their religious people supporting them who came to the checkpoint that they had to get back in their vans. The letter and the flowers remained on the ground.

Recommend this article...

Did you enjoy this article? Please bookmark it onto:

Be first to comment this article

Write Comment

Please keep the topic of messages relevant to the subject of the article. Personal verbal attacks will be deleted. Please don't use comments to plug your web site. Such material will be removed. Just ensure to *Refresh* your browser for a new security code to be displayed prior to clicking on the 'Send' button. Keep in mind that the above process only applies if you simply entered the wrong security code.
Name:
E-mail
Homepage
Title:
BBCode:
Comment:
Code:*
	I wish to be contacted by email regarding additional comments

Powered by AkoComment Tweaked Special Edition v.1.4.4