CPTnet
16 March 2006

IRAQ: A letter from Cindy Sheehan to Tom Fox's family

13 March 2006

To the family of Tom Fox and to the Christian Peacemaker Teams:

My heart is breaking for Mr. Fox's family and for the world. This is a dark
day for peace and justice. The loss of a man of the stature of Tom Fox and
the loss of his voice for peace and reconciliation is a tragedy for our
country which operates so often from a paradigm of violence. Every voice for
peace is imperative and needed.

I am always told that I am brave, but what I do pales weakly in comparison
with the actions of Tom Fox and the Christian Peacemakers who put their
actual lives on the line everyday to make the world a better place and to
save lives of our brothers and sisters who are in danger.

Jesus said: "To give up one's life for a friend, there is no greater love
than this," (John 15:13). This is the same Gospel passage that was read at
my son Casey's funeral. Jesus went on to say that it is even more sacred to
give up your life for people you don't even know.

Tom lived his life out of his moral center and gave freely of his life to
save lives of people he would probably never meet.

Now, the world is begging for the safe release of the other three Christian
Peacemakers who are still held hostage. The way to peace is not violence.
The way to peace is only through peace and a respect for all life. The
killing of Tom Fox does nothing to foster peace in the Middle East but can
be used for a renewed call for the immediate withdrawal of all coalition
troops from Iraq so the people of Iraq can rebuild their lives and their
country. So the killing of innocents and our American troops can stop.

I did not want my son's death to be exploited to justify more deaths in Iraq
and I am sure Tom and his family would agree. It is past time for the cycle
of violence and killing to stop.

It is time for we peacemakers and peace activists from around the world to
join our hands and our voices together to demand an end to the violence and
killing.

Tom Fox and his selfless sacrifice for humanity make me proud to be a human
being. I just wish such a holy act of sacrifice was not necessary or
required of Tom.

Tom is at peace now, I pray for this peace for Tom's family and for our
world.

In Peace and Solidarity,

Cindy Sheehan and Gold Star Families for Peace

If you want to send condolences to Fox's family, send them to Family of Tom
Fox, c/o Christian Peacemaker Teams, P.O. Box 6508 Chicago, IL 60680-6508