The link provided attributes quotes to this woman that are somewhere between chilling and appalling. The family members who witnessed her conversations and took part in them seem fairly upset with what she said.
In what possible context would it be deemed acceptable to hand out one’s business card in the middle of a funeral service???
Cartooniverse
Gee, from time to time, I go to funerals, and I have never been invited. Have I done something wrong?
Honest question.
That family sounds like a bunch of fucking asswipes that just wanted to be offended. That’s no excuse for Bush to avoid funerals.
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic]
That family sounds like a bunch of fucking asswipes that just wanted to be offended. QUOTE]
Yep, it had nothing to do with Ms. Manners blabbing and handing out business cards during communion. If she’s so against the war, attend a Muslim funeral and act in the same shamefull and disrespectfull way. I’m sure Ed Rendell would buy her a ticket to Iraq.
Do you make it a point to discuss your politics with the family who may or may not agree with you? Do you make it a point to tell them something that, depending upon your particular leanings, either implies that their dead son was a stooge or a martyr without knowing?
Knoll is an utter idiot. Rendell is going to drop her like a stone, though God knows why. Those two were made for each other.
Knoll did not discuss politics at the funeral. May we dispense with that falsehood please?
I would agree that this would be extremely inappropriate behavior if it happened. So far, all the “evidence” presented has been a fair amount of (unsupported) blog and editorial elaboration about the Lt. Gov. using the funeral for political purposes, yet no one has provided a citation that she actually said anything about the war or about the deceased. The “Who are you?” question during communion seems odd, but it has no context. It almost sounds as though (some members of) the family, knowing that the Lt. Gov. is anti-war, is simply expressing outrage at her mere presence, yet it appears that she has actually taken the time to attend a number of funerals for citizens from her state. (I wonder if Santorum can say as much?)
As soon as I see evidence that she actually tried to use the funeral for political purposes, I will be quite happy to condemn her. Until then, I see no reason to trust Michelle Malkin or any other right-wing blogger who is lodging fact-free charges against the lady.
Why are you so certain? Because anything that you see from a blog must be false simply because you saw it there?
In the absence of any evidence that proves that she didn’t say what she is accused of saying, I think I’ll go with the family on this one.
Here is an editorial from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, which I agree with wholeheartedly, and this coming from a “liberal” newspaper that actually is, remarkably enough.
'Nuff said.
When did the family say she said anything political at the funeral? All I’ve seen is that she gave someone a card.
::rereading stories::
Ok, apparently some aunt says she claimed the state government was against the war. So what? How is that political?
What if she had said the state was FOR the war? Would that be outrageous as well.
I think the family is just a bunch of grandstanding assholes mad at the wrong people.
I also think there’s a good chance the aunt is full of shit but you can believe whatever you want.
If she said anything, it was probably something akin to what the governor said- that it’s not the states JOB to support the war (which it isn’t)- and the aunt twisted it into what she wanted to hear.
If I taught your kids that there is no God, you would approve. You surely wouldn’t if I taught them that God DID exist.
There is a time and place for everything, and a funeral is not the place. Not ever. Especially when your comments are directed towards the very thing that caused the funeral to happen. She should have just stood in the back, said a few kinds words, and then left in a dignified manner. You know, like everyone else. Instead she gave her unwelcome opinion, gave her card to show how much she cared (as if showing up wasn’t enough), and pissed off the family of the slain soldier who didn’t want to hear her opinion.
In other words, Knoll didn’t do it, the family is lying, and it’s because you said so. Gotcha.
:rolleyes:
Don’t make assumptions. My wife is a practicing Catholic. My oldest daughter is is starting at a Catholic school in september. I don’t get my panties in a wad about people telling her that God exists. Her mother does it all the time.
I don’t see what it has to do with the funeral. Are you saying that it would have been appropriate to give a rah rah statement in support of the war?
Not the place for what?
I haven’t even seen an allegation, much less proof, that she gave a personal opinion on the war. Giving the state’s position is not the same thing (and I haven’t seen context for that alleged statement, but what would you say if you found out she was asked for an opinion and that she tried to give a non-committal statement similar to what the governor said, and misinterpreted by the aunt?)
Standing respectfully at the back pretty much sounds like what she did do. It sounds like the family was just looking for any excuse to play the victims.
I also don’t see what’s so goddamn horrible about giving somebody a business card.
It sounds like these people already had a political axe to grind and were just gettng off on being “outraged.”
It sounds like only the aunt heard this comment, and I’m not accusing her of lying, I’m just saying I wouldn’t be surprised if she misconstrued or distorted something. Why should we asume that a politically hostile family member would be incapable of taking something the wrong way?
“If there’s anything I can do to help you, please don’t hesitate to call.”
This happened in my city and it’s been getting a fair amount of local coverage. Here’s a link to an article about the incident itself, and a link to an article about Knoll’s apology. The television station I watch in the morning did indeed report several times that Ms. Knoll said, “Our government does not support this war.” The impression I got was she was trying to do some political grandstanding which backfired rather loudly.
I’ve opposed this war all along, but Ms. Knoll’s actions were ridiculously stupid. It isn’t that she “crashed a funeral”; funerals are events which don’t require invitations. It’s that she added to a family’s grief by making a stupid remark and doing something which looked like campaigning. A lot of folks around here do support the war and/or our troups, at least judging by the number of yellow ribbons I see on my drive to work. I would think a family who’s son died in a war don’t want to hear about lack of support, at least not at the time they’re burying him. In my opinion it was a rude and insensitive thing to do.
CJ
Funny you should mention this, because this reminds me of a very trying time in my life.
I did a good bit of volunteer work for Rick Santorum in 1990, when he was running for Congress for the first time. Because of the time and effort I put in, I was invited by him and his campaign to Washington for his swearing-in, but had to cancel. My grandfather died at that same exact time, from lung cancer.
Rick Santorum was, at the time, unbelievably busy. He had to establish offices in Washington and his district, set up an apartment in Washington, hire staffers and acquaint himself with upcoming legislative issues for the session. Yet he took some time to talk with a twenty year old volunteer from his campaign and express his sympathy directly, before he went back to his work. He even offered to send flowers. I told him that wasn’t necessary, and probably wouldn’t be a good idea anyway. Pap was a lifelong union Democrat.
It was appreciated at the time.
If you being at the funeral would attract media attention, then I think you should be invited. If you’re not a public figure, then unless you are singled out for NOT being invited, and you don’t have an agenda in being there (a la Will Farrell in the Wedding Crashers movie), then I think you’re okay.
This thread is indicative of a larger issue. Everyone is on a hair trigger about the war in Iraq. Many people on each side eagerly await a perceived misstep from the other side so they can swoop in and score points.