How’s this for a conspiracy theory?

By now we all know far too much about Casey Sheehan’s mother, and her escapades in Crawford doing her best to be a thorn in President Bush’s side. We’re all growing tired of watching the hangers-on lining up behind the impenetrable facade of a grieving mother. We’re all dumbfounded as the merciless protesters eagerly abuse the good name of a fallen soldier to further their political ideologies.

Yesterday, Casey’s mother left Crawford to care for her mother, who recently suffered a stroke. While we can all sympathize with her sudden withdrawal to care for a family member in need, perhaps her sudden departure is also a sign that Casey Sheehan’s mother herself has recognized that her personal desire to make a statement has been mutated into something far more diabolical. After all, what if Casey’s grandmother’s illness was hastened somehow by the maniacal ranting being done in her grandson’s name?

Yes, I may be way out in left field in thinking that Casey Sheehan’s mother is in fact a reasonable person capable of recognizing the extent of the control her puppetmasters have exerted on her. Yes, her departure from Crawford may be nothing more than a temporary reprieve from the limelight based entirely on compassion for her ill mother. Yes, the terrible illness affecting her mother may indeed be a tragic event brought on by nothing more than the relentless march of time. But what if…?

Ok, conspiracy theories aside, I do hope that Casey’s grandmother pulls through and returns to good health. I hope Casey’s mother takes the time to reconsider her activities and the detrimental effect it is having on her family, the country, and the memory of her heroic son. I hope the radical elements that have been pulling her strings snip them and let them fall away. And mostly, I hope she returns to relative obscurity and returns her son to the dignified position where he belongs. If that happens, I may even break down and mention her name.