A Must-Read Book

It is safe to assume that everyone who keeps track of the war or the anti-war movement has heard of Cindy Sheehan, the face of the anti-war movement ever since she camped out at Crawford, Texas in 2005. Her son, Casey, was killed in Iraq, so Maureen Dowd declared that Mrs. Sheehan had absolute moral authority to attack the Bush Administration. Casey Sheehan's best friend, Justin Johnson, was also killed six days apart from Casey. A new book, American Mourning: The Intimate Story of Two Families Joined by War, Torn by Beliefs by Catherine Moy and Melanie Morgan, tells the stories of the Sheehan and Johnson families in the months following their tragic losses. We all know what the Sheehans did. What did the Johnsons do?
Mr. Joe Johnson, Justin's father, joined the Army, where his other son, Joshua, already served. Mr. Johnson joined the infantry and managed to get posted as a HUMMV gunner, which is exactly the job that Justin was doing when he was killed. Need I say more? This mighty family is the epitome of what makes America great.
Moy and Morgan reveal another tidbit that is not surprising, but is rather disgraceful. Staffers for Michael Moore and John Kerry regularly approach gold star family members to offer them posts as spokesmen for the anti-war movement. In some instances, they even attend the funerals for the fallen heroes and make offers at the gravesite. I intend to read American Mourning at my nearest convenience.