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Cindy Sheehan, a member of the Gold Star Families for Peace, experienced a moment of grace while volunteering at the Eyes Wide Open installation in Dallas. She had been quietly listening to hostile heckling from protestors, who were stirred up by untruths about the exhibit that had been spread by a local radio talk show host. When one man screamed, “You people are all cowards. You wouldn’t die for anything.” Cindy calmly told him that she would have unquestioningly died in Iraq in the place of her son, Casey Sheehan. The formerly screaming man embraced Cindy, in tears. (You can read her account here.)

When the exhibit opened in Dallas, 1,490 pairs of combat boots were laid out in the plaza in front of City Hall. Over the two-day installation, nine more pairs of empty boots had to be added. The one thousand pairs of regular shoes that represents Iraqi casualties remains constant; there is no way to know exactly how many tens of thousands of Iraqis have died and continue to die daily, though estimates range from 30,000 to 100,000.

Dallas is the first city where Eyes Wide Open encountered any organized protest. Extra local volunteers spent time at the exhibit to ensure the safety of the display. Many, many military families visit and pay tribute to the empty boots as they travel the country. Not all share the same politics, but all know that even one life lost creates a void that can never be filled.

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Photos by Bill Betzen unless otherwise noted

Song:
Singer/songwriter James Michael Taylor volunteered at the Dallas exhibit site. The experience inspired him to write this song entitled "Shoes":

> Listen / download
(mp3 file, 260 KB)