I shared this article straight to my Political Pollution page on Facebook yesterday. I included it in my "More Stores" post for October 20; but late last night I decided it was too important to be just a link on my blog, so I am re-posting it today in its entirety. (Any underlines are mine.)
Remember when John Boehner formed the Select Committee and promised these families the Republican Party was dedicated to finding the "truth?" Remember when Trey Gowdy met with these families to assure them that he and his party were dedicated to treating their loss compassionately and honestly? This is what Republican compassion looks like:
Moms of two Benghazi casualties call anti-Clinton ad 'cruel,' 'callous'
 Barbara Doherty, whose son Glen was killled in the embassy attack in Benghazi, Libya |
The mothers of two CIA contractors and former Navy SEALs killed in the 2012 attacks on the U.S. compound in Benghazi are outraged by a "cruel and callous" political ad that invokes images of their sons to level charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Barbara Doherty of Woburn, (Massachusetts) whose son Glen Doherty died in the attack, told the Herald, "It's so crude and so unfeeling to do something like this. To see your own son and hear a voice coming up from the grave, it's tasteless."
A picture of Doherty's son appears first in the ad. "Dear Hillary Clinton, I'd like to ask you why you ignored calls for help in Benghazi and then four Americans were murderd," a voice reads.
Doherty's mother said this is the first time someone has put words into her son's mouth like that--and he wouldn't have like it. "I won't use the language he would have used, but he would be very upset."
Cheryl Croft Bennet, whose son, Tyrone Woods, died in the attacks, said the ad triggered the type of anger that she had avoided since he was killed. "I have not been angry because it's counter-productive. But this ad made me angry," she said.
Woods' picture appears second in the ad, and a voice-over reads: "I'd like to know why you lied, saying the attack was a response to an internet video."
The video then cuts to voice-overs with pictures of diplomat Sean Smith and U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, who both also died in the attacks. It ends with a picture of Stevens' grave.
Bennet said the Stop Hillary PAC, which is behind the ad, should have asked before using her son's image to peddle such a political attack, even though she would have denied the request.
Dan Backer, counsel and treasurer for Stop Hillary PAC, defended the ad, saying it "wasn't supposed to have a warm and fuzzy impact," and disagreed that it exploits the Americans killed in the Benghazi attacks.
Backer said he did not ask the families before using the images. "Talking with them beforehand wasn't something we thought about. Maybe we should have," he said.
"Maybe?!" It doesn't even cross his mind to ask how these families would feel to be suddenly confronted with seeing their sons' faces plastered all over the media attacking a women that--since he never bothered to ask--they just might support, yet he doesn't see using the images--without permission--as exploitive?!
He admits that the ad isn't meant to be "warm and fuzzy," but when reminded of the emotional pain his ad is causing, instead of an apology, the families are treated to a metaphysical shrug of the shoulders, a classic Republican "get over it" attitude that refuses to acknowledge anyone but themselves and what they see as advantageous to their cause--anyone else be damned. "So a few peasants are upset, what is that to us?"
Bennett said she had never spoken with her son about politics.
"To have words put in his mouth as he is speaking from the grave, it's beyond the pale," she said. "Besides callous and cruel, it's irreverent, and it does not honor, it does not respect these men."
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