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October 30, 2004

Snaking the politics of terrorism

It seems even former victims of terrorism can't escape the GOP vice grip of "soft on terrorism".

Enter Terry Anderson. Yup...THAT Terry Anderson. The same one that was held hostage for six years in Lebanon by a Shia Muslim group.

Anderson, a Ohio resident, lives with his wife and daughter on a horse ranch in southeastern Ohio. Anderson is running for a State senate seat.

His opponent Joy Padgett sent out mailers that paired a photograph of Anderson and a senior official from the militant group Hezbollah with comments Anderson reportedly made to an Ohio newspaper in October 2001, shortly after the terror attacks on New York and Washington.

The mailer said that Anderson suggested "America's enemies have reason to hate us," when he told the daily "Are we willing to accept that they hate us, not because they're crazy, but because we've done something wrong?"

The Anderson team charges that the brochure failed to explain that the picture was taken at a meeting in which Anderson was confronting one of his Hezbollah kidnappers on a return trip to Lebanon.

The inherent injustice here is staggering. Facing down one's attacker is not only courageous but shows a depth of character and personal strength rarely witnessed. Creating a working understanding of terrorism and why it occurs is the key to solving it. Acting as the schoolyard bully is how terrorism spreads.

The citizens of this state senate district in Ohio have a choice between someone experienced in dealing with terrorism and it's effects...or someone who hasn't. If their priority is to defeat terrorism they'd most certainly be better off with someone who understands it on a personal level.

Ms. Padgett's campaign is a disgrace.

Posted by Carla at October 30, 2004 04:14 PM