Mental Health Notes

Is There a Line That Separates Politics and Human Compassion?

by Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes on June 27th, 2007

If you watched The Today Show today, you enjoyed - or loathed - the recap of Elizabeth Edwards’ and Ann Coulter’s ill attempt at a “debate” yesterday.

(Need to catch up? Check out the transcription of Elizabeth Edwards vs. Ann Coulter. You can also watch the video, Edwards to Coulter: Stop personal attacks.)

“Debate” summary: Edwards is tired of Coulter using Edwards’ son’s death in 1996 as a way to oppose the Democratic Party, claiming these are personal attacks that should be stopped. Coulter attempts to make Edwards’ requests seem ridiculous and damaging to her husband’s presidency campaign by claiming Edwards’ is telling her to stop writing books.

My opinion? Coulter is an arrogant, heartless, hair-flipping, attention-seeking, cocktail dress-wearing “political commentator” and Edwards is completely justified in her request.

How is any of this related to mental health?

Anyone who’s ever experienced the death of a family member knows how painful it is, and anyone who’s ever experienced the death of a child knows a pain like no other. Heartache aside, the mental strain alone is enough to send you spiraling into deep depression - or worse.

After traumatic events, many folks are inspired to do something in the name of the deceased. If your mother dies from breast cancer, you may be moved to help raise money to pay for the costs of mammograms for women who can’t afford health care. If your son dies from AIDS, you may want to volunteer in some field that raises awareness about safe sex, or IV drug use, or blood transfusions gone wrong.

As Coulter notes in a 2003 article for the Jewish World Review, many presidential candidates have somehow tied their family members’ deaths in with their campaigns. Do they say, “My son died - help ease the pain by voting for me,” as Coulter claims? No. The majority of the candidates she’s attacking are using what they’ve learned from these deaths to further highlight their presidential intentions.

Case in point: From “The Party of Ideas,” Coulter asserts:

The relevance of his son’s illness to Gephardt’s run for the presidency is this: It inspired Gephardt’s call for national health insurance.

(Richard Andrew “Dick” Gephardt was a hopeful democratic presidential nominee in 2004, until John Kerry was nominated.)

I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was the relevance of his run, but it may have been a highlight. Is there anything wrong with that? No. Gephardt seems to have been inspired by his son’s illness to at least try to do something for national health insurance.

Despicable.

Now Coulter’s back at it again, attacking the Edwards’ once more. (She did so during the 2004 campaign, too.)

Coulter has been referred to as a “tell it like it is” kind of woman. Being a “tell it like it is” kind of woman myself, I understand her need to voice her opinion. However, I also understand what it means to be human and have a heart. I don’t care if you’re a Republican or Democrat, you just don’t attack people who have suffered such loss simply because it is your opinion that they’re using the loss to further their campaign.

Mrs. Edwards sounded absolutely helpless during this “debate.” As much as I would like to say she called up Hardball and socked it to Coulter, I can’t. I actually can’t say either woman made a recognizable point other than Edwards asking Coulter to stop making personal attacks, and Coulter saying no.

My heart went out to Edwards, and I sincerely hope she remains strong despite these continuous, completely unnecessary reminders of her son’s death.

Further proof that Coulter is an arrogant, heartless, hair-flipping, attention-seeking, cocktail dress-wearing “political commentator” who cares more about hearing her own voice and reading her own words than about the importance of human compassion? In a 2006 interview with Matt Lauer:

Lauer: “Alright on the 9/11 widows and in particular a group that had been outspoken and critical of the administration. ‘These self-obsessed women seem genuinely unaware that 9/11 was an attack on our nation and acted as if the terrorist attack only happened to them. They believe the entire country was required to marinate in their exquisite personal agony. Apparently denouncing Bush was an important part of their closure process.’ And this part is, is the part I really need to talk to you about. ‘These broads are millionaires lionized on TV and in articles about them reveling in their status as celebrities and stalked by grief-arazzis. I’ve never seen people enjoying their husbands’ death so much.’

I think enough has been said here.

Image: Newscom

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POSTED IN: Current Affairs & News, Death, Men, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Resources, Sites of Interest, Women