Staff Reports
Vice President Kamala Harris seems to have forgotten one crucial thing: Arlington National Cemetery is not a Hollywood set for her political theatrics. When she took to social media to accuse former President Donald Trump of exploiting the graves of fallen service members to advance his political agenda, she inadvertently made Gold Star families the unfortunate punchline in her verbal blunder. Instead of honoring heroes, Harris decided to point fingers, and in doing so, she has left grieving families grappling with an outpouring of hate. Apparently, playing politics is acceptable as long as it’s in her favor.
Gold Star families—not exactly known for having a sense of humor about the loss of their loved ones—have expressed their outrage over Harris’s tone-deaf remarks. Christy Shamblin, who lost her daughter-in-law, said she was stunned when Harris dismissed the heartfelt honor paid to 13 service members who died due to the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. This event will forever haunt the Biden administration. Shamblin pointed out that her family even invited both President Biden and Harris to honor their fallen in Arlington that day. Still, apparently, a cringeworthy TikTok video was more on-brand than honoring America’s heroes for this administration.
#Kamala’s attack on #Trump “made us a target for a lot of #hate.”https://t.co/cx36uKQSiU
— ᴀᴀʀᴏɴᴊʜɪʟʟ 🤬 (@aaronjhill) September 4, 2024
Steve Nikoui, another Gold Star parent, echoed her disbelief, reflecting on the irony of Harris accusing anyone of politicizing tragedy. If anyone’s taking the political low road, it’s Harris herself. The fact that she tries to cast Trump in a negative light while simultaneously wading into the political swamp makes one wonder if she needs to sit down and take a long, hard look in the mirror—or perhaps even consult a thick book on “How Not to Be a Hypocrite.”
Jim McCollum, who also has a stake in this heartbreaking story, shared how Harris’s remarks left him feeling not only disappointed but personally attacked. McCollum pointed out that Gold Star families have consciously stayed out of the political fray, honoring their fallen children without using them as pawns in a game as petty and shallow as what Harris displayed. It’s almost as if these families are the last bastions of decency, while Harris is more focused on scoring points in the political arena.
In an era where the current administration seems to relish pitting groups against one another for their own gain, one has to question the sanity of it all. Addressing the pain and loss of heroes with political jabs is an inappropriate mockery. Harris should take a cue from those families who, despite their sorrow, still manage to rise above the political mudslinging. The real tragedy lies not just in the loss of life but in how those who lead this nation choose to exploit that loss for their selfish ambitions—a lesson lost on the Vice President and her party.
