Photos from Camp Casey; Rev. Al Sharpton, Wedding, Martin Sheen

Wrapping up a very busy final weekend yesterday, representatives of a dozen faith-based communities and beliefs gathered for an interfaith prayer service. Each took a moment to express, in their own words, why this war must end. Rev. Al Sharpton closed the service with a moving call to take history into our own hands. Maybe folks didn't have the courage to do what Cindy did, but the least we can do now is stand with her now, he urged. After the service, over 4,000 roses donated by individuals across the country were placed on the crosses in front of the camp

Later in the afternoon Genevieve and Peter of Austin, Texas were married under the camp’s big tent. After coming to Crawford last weekend, the couple decided to move up their scheduled wedding and forego some of the ceremonial trappings to marry among friends, some old and many new. Afterwards the happy couple was showered with rose petals.

Following the wedding, Martin Sheen led a Catholic rosary that incorporated the reading of the names of 50 U.S. servicepersons killed in Iraq. Interspersed in the reading of the names, a chorus sang religious hymns from many different faiths. Upon taking the stage, Martin Sheen declared that many had been silent far too long about what's happening and he hoped that Cindy would be the catalyst for changing that. After posing for a photo op with members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, he joined the nightly Camp Casey sunset taps ceremony.

With the weekend over, attention is now turning to the cross-country “Bring Them Home Now” bus tour (http://www.bringthemhomenowtour.org) embarking on Wednesday. Many in camp also very concerned by friends and family, and their own homes, in the New Orleans area currently being battered by the hurricane.

For the last few days I’ve taken up maintaining the Meet With Cindy (http://www.meetwithcindy.org) Crawford Blog for those of you that really need more “real time” information.

For an archive of my photos, reports, and video from Camp Casey:
http://www.notinourname.net/war/sheehan.htm