"Boycott BP Into Bankruptcy" - Cindy Sheehan Talks About War, Peace, the Environment, and Oil Spills (Interview)

Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq on April 4, 2004. Here's some of her story from Americans Who Tell the Truth:

Cindy's world changed forever when, on a mission on April 4, 2004 to help other troops in Sadr City, Spc. Casey Sheehan was tragically killed. She and other military families met with President George W. Bush in June of 2004. By October, Cindy decided her son's death would spur her into action. She wrote, "I was ashamed that I hadn't tried to stop the war before Casey died...Well, I now felt that if I couldn't make a difference, I would at least try." Her quest to end the war, bring soldiers home, and hold politicians responsible for the decisions that sent the troops to Iraq initially, has been indefatigable.

Before you get he impression that Cindy is a single-issue activist, consider these reasons why voters want her to run for Congress:

- Democracy

- Peace

- Political and corporate accountability

- Economic equality

- Universal-single payer health care

- Jobs

- Affordable housing

- A clean environment and sustainable future

- Human rights (including same-sex marriage and immigrant rights)

- More and cheaper public transportation

- Excellent education for everyone

- Decriminalizing cannabis

- Humanity

WATCH VIDEO: Erin Brockovich's Continued Crusade

She is the National Director of Peace of the Action, author of five books, and host of her own radio show, Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox. She has also spoke out strongly about the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill and that gave me the idea to interview her for Planet Green.

The Rising Cost of Free Speech

My Conversation With Cindy Sheehan

Planet Green: The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is, of course, a horrific assault on the eco-system but it just may be a window through which the anti-war movement can better link up with the green movement. What connections do you see between these two movements?

Cindy Sheehan: We are waging two big wars for oil, and many smaller wars throughout the world (South America, Africa) and to me, it has always been a no-brainer that the U.S's addiction to war can be linked to our addiction to oil. Even in 1933, Major General Smedley Butler wrote in War is a Racket: "I made Mexico, especially Tampico safe for U.S. oil interests...In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested." Now President Obama has called out SWAT teams to the recent catastrophe in the Gulf—it seems like oil companies drive our foreign policy more than any real or perceived physical threat.

PG: You suggested we "boycott BP into bankruptcy" but the U.S. consumes about 21 million barrels of oil per day and10,000 gallons of gasoline are burned in the U.S. every second. How do we inspire Americans to kick the oil habit?

CS: Also, BP gave Obama 71,000 for his presidential campaign and Senator Mary Landrieu of Lousiana is the Queen of Big Oil—that's why we down here in our stratosphere need to be more responsible non-consumers of petroleum products. I hope the environmental movement and anti-war movement can work together to educate people about the insidiousness of this cancer that is destroying or severely compromising our existence on this planet. If one must use gas, I would suggest shopping at CITGO if possible, because Chavez does do some good with the money, but to me, that's even a bad solution. Just reduce personal oil consumption as much as possible.

PG: The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest polluter on the planet—producing more hazardous waste than the five largest U.S. chemical companies combined—and this country's military is also top gas guzzler in the world. With such a growing awareness of all things "green," how can we better spread the word that war (and the preparation for war) is a major assault on our eco-system?

CS: I think one of the best things that we can do is look into economic conversion of the defense industry into green industries working on sustainable and renewable forms of energy—and/or connect with indigenous people who are trying to reclaim their lands from the pollution of the military industrial complex. There's also a Superfund site in San Francisco called Bayview/Hunter's Point where the Navy gave toxic land to the city of San Francisco, which then sold it to Lennar Corp for a dollar. The best thing to do would be to start on a very local level to reclaim a planet healthy for life.

PG: In the time since your son's death, you have been on a journey that I'd guess you could've never seen coming. What has been the biggest surprise over the past six years?

CS: Democrats and Republicans are equally corrupt and are both working against our interests.

PG: Did you have any advice or inspiration you'd like to share with Planet Green readers seeking to create change?

CS: Don't think change has to be made in huge increments—start in your own life and home—then spread around peace and green as far and wide as you can!