On Sept. 26 the U.S. Park Police arrested Cindy Sheehan, a California mother whose son died last year in Iraq, along with 370 other protestors outside the White House. Knowing they would be arrested, she and hundreds of others sat down on the sidewalk in front of the White House chanting, "Stop the war now!" In doing so, Sheehan, who probably planned her very public arrest, advanced her anti-war cause. Although she and the protestors broke the law, they did nothing wrong. The side supporting the continuation of the Iraq War labels Sheehan as a traitor and as one who does not represent the American ideals of democracy. However, according to these very ideals, Sheehan has every right as a citizen of the United States to voice her opinions about Iraq.

Although Sheehan was arrested based on legal terms, she has not done anything morally reprehensible. Since her very public arrest occurred in the national spotlight, Sheehan has sent the anti-war protestors' message into homes across America. If anything, it will rally more people to both Sheehan's and the broader anti-war Movement's cause.

Television images from national news broadcasters like CNN, Fox, ABC and MSNBC show Sheehan being carried away by the police in front of the White House; she goes with a large smile on her face and looks victorious. Sheehan was quoted as saying, "I hope I'm a catalyst for change."

History shows that arrest for one's cause is one of the most powerful forms of protest. For example, when the police arrested Rosa Parks because she refused to give up her seat in a bus, she mobilized African Americans nationwide against many of the racist laws that governed our country at the time. Rosa Parks put a face on the Civil Rights Movement much like Sheehan puts a face on the anti-war Movement.

Monday's protests are part of a much larger anti-war Movement. For instance, United for Peace and Justice, a lobbying group that is putting pressure on members of Congress to end the war in Iraq, needs icons like Sheehan who are so loyal as to be willing to get arrested for their beliefs, bringing constituents across America to the cause.

These numbers of constituents provide the voting power and money for United for Peace and Justice to lobby politicians on Capitol Hill. In a concerted anti-war effort, Sheehan led protests on Monday, which followed Saturday's massive demonstration in which she also spoke in front of over 100,000 people in the capital. Smaller protests in Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities also occurred on Saturday. Such large numbers of protestors across the United States are sure to draw the attention of congressmen in Washington, D.C. Without people like Sheehan to mobilize a huge amount of Americans, United for Peace and Justice would be ineffective.

At the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a counter-protest occurred on Sunday with much fewer people. Senator Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, addressed the crowd. "The group who spoke here the other day did not represent the American ideals of freedom, liberty and spreading that around the world," he said.

No matter what side of this divisive issue you are on, Sheehan represents these ideals. We live in a country that gives us the constitutional right of free speech. When you take away the right of free speech–one of the strongest pillars of the American Constitution–you take away most of what America stands for: "freedom, liberty and spreading that around the world," in Senator Session's words.

I do not presume that we have, in any way, reached full equality as a nation. But the United States is organic, always changing since its birth. Over hundreds of years and with many setbacks, the American people made much progress towards this lofty ideal of "freedom and liberty." Condemning Cindy Sheehan's expression of these rights is a huge step backwards.

Serviansky can be reached at mservianksy09@amherst.edu