Wednesday, October 27, 2004
She said she wants to make sure her soldier son did not die in vain in Iraq.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- "How many more" have to die in Iraq, said Lila Lipscomb, whose son, Michael Pederson, was killed April 2, 2003, when his Blackhawk helicopter was shot down.
"I'm tired of people standing up and calling me 'coward.' It's true, my son chose to serve in the military. But he didn't choose to die because of lies and deceit on the part of his own government," said Lipscomb, speaking Tuesday at a Get Out the Vote 2004 event sponsored by Youngstown State University College Democrats.
Lipscomb, 50, of Flint, Mich., said she is determined to "wake up the nation" about the war in Iraq and make sure her son's death was not in vain.
A supporter of Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry, Lipscomb said that for a long time she did not know who she was going to vote for.
However, she said "I've looked into the soul of John Kerry, and he understands. He chose to stand and fight, not run and hide."
Movie appearance
Lipscomb, an office administrator, received national recognition for her appearance in Michael Moore's movie "Fahrenheit 9/11," first as a flag-waging patriot and then after her son was killed, as a war critic.
Regarding her role in "Fahrenheit 9/11," Lipscomb said she was given control of her part throughout the process. "I was not manipulated. I was a willing participant," she said.
Lipscomb lived in Youngstown for several months in 1984, and her children Michael and Jennifer attended elementary school here.
Lipscomb said she feels compelled to speak out on the war and what she believes is a disconnect between the United States federal government and its people.
Part of why she said she can't stop is the disillusionment her son, whom she last saw when he returned home to Flint at Christmas 2002, felt when he learned he was going to Iraq to invade Baghdad.
"He didn't understand why he had to go fight one man's war ... just to control the oil that country has," Lipscomb said.
She urged people to become informed and question their government.
"Don't let the fear factor affect you," she said.
Military family
Lipscomb's is a military family. Her daughter Jennifer was in the military during the 1991 Gulf War era, and two of her brothers are Vietnam War veterans.
She began to doubt the validity of the war after seeing the anger and frustration in her son's letters.
The biggest lie was saying Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, she said.
Lipscomb said her grief is as strong today as when she learned of her son's death.
"I've just learned how to function" in spite of the grief, she said.
Others
Also on Tuesday's agenda were several area candidates and Andrew Rice of September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, an advocacy group representing about 120 family members of 911 victims.
Rice, whose brother, David, was killed when the World Trade Center collapsed, said the Bush administration asked people to rally after Sept. 11 and then began to use the event as a political tool. "Bush is running on 9/11," Rice said.
People like Lila's son are willing to risk their lives to defend America against real threats, but not threats concocted on lies, Rice said.