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Politicizing a Mother’s Grief

Politicizing a Mother’s Grief

It is hard to imagine a greater tragedy for a parent than to lose a child in the prime of his or her life.  Parents often express the hope that they will not outlive any of their children.  As a parent, I understand that sentiment.

A parent grieving the death of a child deserves the sympathy from all decent people.  But when a parent replaces the black armband of mourning with a political banner, they open themselves to the vicissitudes of political conflict.

Such is the case of Gladys Sicknick, the mother of Brian Sicknick. Brian Sicknick was the 42-year-old Capitol Hill officer who died after being on duty during the January 6th riot.  He did not die of any injuries he suffered at the riot.  The medical examiner was very clear.  He died OF NATURAL CAUSES.

That is a critically important finding. The partisan media repeatedly reported that he died from a blow to the head from a fire extinguisher.  The medical examiner announced that there was no such injury. Then the media falsely reported that he died from the after effect of bear repellent spray.  That also was disproved by the medical examiner.

The media that paid such attention to those false reports have not similarly reported the final medical fact that Sicknick died from natural causes – unrelated to his activities at the riot.  There have been no corrections aired by the left-leaning media.  And still, the media generally reports him as a victim of the riot.  That is a lie that would get the news media four Pinocchios if it were not for the fact that they are the one’s issuing the dubious award to others.

Despite the fact that her son died of natural causes, Sicknick’s mother went to Washington at the request of Democrats to plead for the creation of a controversial special commission to investigate the riot.  She joined in the attack on Senate Republicans who see no need for such a commission.  And her partisan comments were widely reported by the anti-Republican new platforms.

In doing so, Mrs, Sicknick participated in a highly partisan political event. She used the death of her son as a pretext. Even though his death had nothing to do with the rioting.

It is possible to feel empathy for a mother who has lost her child – and maybe understand that her grief made her emotionally susceptible to the enticement of Democrats to engage her in their bogus narratives relating to young Sicknick’s death – but the fact remains that what she did was to use – nay, misuse — the death of her son for purely partisan political purposes.

I fully understand that some will attack this commentary as being insensitive to the tragedy that struck the Sicknick family.  But it is his mother who stepped out from behind the veil of mourning to engage in contemporary political activism. 

As a person who has felt the pain of the death of young family members, I can fully sympathize with her grief but still be critical of her using that tragedy to participate in a fraudulent political narrative.  Whether she did so out of emotional weakness or malicious intent makes no difference.  Her using her son’s death inappropriately is just plain wrong.

So, there ‘tis.

About The Author

Larry Horist

So, there ‘tis… The opinions, perspectives and analyses of businessman, conservative writer and political strategist Larry Horist. Larry has an extensive background in economics and public policy. For more than 40 years, he ran his own Chicago based consulting firm. His clients included such conservative icons as Steve Forbes and Milton Friedman. He has served as a consultant to the Nixon White House and travelled the country as a spokesman for President Reagan’s economic reforms. Larry professional emphasis has been on civil rights and education. He was consultant to both the Chicago and the Detroit boards of education, the Educational Choice Foundation, the Chicago Teachers Academy and the Chicago Academy for the Performing Arts. Larry has testified as an expert witness before numerous legislative bodies, including the U. S. Congress, and has lectured at colleges and universities, including Harvard, Northwestern and DePaul. He served as Executive Director of the City Club of Chicago, where he led a successful two-year campaign to save the historic Chicago Theatre from the wrecking ball. Larry has been a guest on hundreds of public affairs talk shows, and hosted his own program, “Chicago In Sight,” on WIND radio. An award-winning debater, his insightful and sometimes controversial commentaries have appeared on the editorial pages of newspapers across the nation. He is praised by audiences for his style, substance and sense of humor. Larry retired from his consulting business to devote his time to writing. His books include a humorous look at collecting, “The Acrapulators’ Guide”, and a more serious history of the Democratic Party’s role in de facto institutional racism, “Who Put Blacks in That PLACE? -- The Long Sad History of the Democratic Party’s Oppression of Black Americans ... to This Day”. Larry currently lives in Boca Raton, Florida.

8 Comments

  1. Dan Tyree

    She was paid by the commie Soros crowd

  2. Ben

    Mollie Tibbetts

    • Who cares?

      Joe Biden

      • Ben

        Who Cares,
        Yes, Joe Biden’s son fought for America. Something less than 2% of our population does. Thank you for pointing that out!

  3. Rat Wrangler

    Absolutely we should investigate the “riot”. After the investigation is over, then we should assess the complicity of the media outlets in its development, and begin slander and libel actions against them for the harm they did to Mr. Trump, the Republican Party, the Democrat Party, and the American People. Multiple media sources obviously slanted this event one way or another, and those slants should be thoroughly investigated.

    • Al ZABEL

      Such fits the definition of terrorism.

    • Ben

      Donny shot off his mouth and shot himself in the foot on a daily basis. If he had had an ounce of message discipline he could have legitimately destroyed our Country. Luckily he is a spoiled silver spoon pedophile that never took advice from anyone. Otherwise he may have been re elected.
      There is no one else to blame. It himself.

  4. porterv

    Have to agree with Dan Tyree!