Cindy Sheehan's arrest at the State of the Union

By now, some of you no doubt read about peace activist Cindy Sheehan's arrest last night before President Bush's State of the Union address. She was arrested for "unlawful conduct" for wearing a T-shirt that said: "2,245 Dead. How many more?"

Not surprisingly, the media commentariat is lashing out at her for inappropriate behavior.

Here is what really happened -- Sheehan's blow-by-blow account, on MichaelMoore.com.

I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."

After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2,245, huh? I just got back from there."

I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started crying in pain.

What did Casey die for? What did the 2,244 other brave young Americans die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't even wear a shirt that has the number of troops on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are responsible for killing. ...

Yes, I oppose the war, but even if I did not, the mere wearing of a political statement should not be grounds for physical removal and arrest, for God's sake, from the so-called People's House.

A Republican Congressman's wife also wore a T-shirt to last night's address. It said: "Support The Troops." (As I do. As Cindy Sheehan does.) She was not expelled. She was not arrested.

Why?

Later: CNN had reported that the Congressman's wife was not expelled or arrested, when she apparently was forced to leave the House. As the Daily News reports today: "Capitol Police said they were sorry for booting 'peace mom' Cindy Sheehan and a GOP congressman's wife from the President's State of the Union speech Tuesday night - all because they wore slogans about the war on their shirts."