Posted on 12/31/2010 8:21:55 AM PST by llevrok
The parents of a Yelm (WA) soldier killed in Afghanistan earlier this month have received cards from friends and strangers expressing condolences, and they’re grateful for the support.
“As a father of someone killed, it is overwhelming,” said Lt. Col. Patrick Collins (Ret.). His son, Sgt. Sean Collins, was buried Wednesday at the Tahoma National Cemetery.
Among that outpouring of empathy, two politicians inadvertently stung the family.
One slight came in a letter of condolences the family received from the office of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
At first, the Collins family appreciated that Cantwell had taken the time to send a letter acknowledging their son’s sacrifice.
But the letter misidentified the slain soldier in its last paragraph, which reads:
“Again, please accept my warmest condolences. May your memories of Bryn and the knowledge that he made a positive impact on the lives of so many serve as a source of comfort to you during this time of sorrow.”
The letter was dated Dec. 20 and delivered to Sean Collins’ mother, Linda Collins of Yelm. The error conveyed to the family that Cantwell had sent a form letter.
“They couldn’t even proofread it,” she said. “I’m sure if her son had died, she would’ve at least wanted his name spelled correctly.”
“That’s just sloppy staff work, that’s an embarrassment,” Patrick Collins said. He has not yet called Cantwell’s office to ask for an apology.
Cantwell’s office is on short staffing for the holiday week and has not replied to an email to its press staff. The Collins family was in touch with Cantwell’s office in the capital Thursday, and was told Cantwell’s staffers were looking into the mistake.
The other slight came when Patrick Collins called the White House and asked to have President Obama call his ex-wife, Linda, to talk about their son.
He was told that Obama did not regularly make phone calls to the families of fallen soldiers.
Later, Patrick Collins read a story about Obama’s phone call to Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffery Lurie. Obama reportedly praised Lurie for giving quarterback Michael Vick a second chance to play football after serving time in prison for running a dog fighting ring.
“That burns,” Patrick Collins said Thursday.
“Any soldier that gets killed in action, you’d think the president would be calling someone in the family. There’s no politics in it. His predecessor did it,” Collins said.
WA state ping
What do you expect from the America-haters of the DemonRAT party?
Zero is a no-talent bum. Cantwell, too.
(As if further evidence was needed.)
NONE of this surprises me!
BO is no George Bush. In fact, BO is a hateful anti-american tyrant put in office by illiterate voters and money largely from foreign powers that seek to redistribute US wealth out of the country.
From what I have seen Obama only pays attention to the families involved with the DNC non-profit called Blue Star Families. They worked hard to get him elected and do get petted from time to time.
Maria “Can’tvotewell” was obviously up in Seattle preparing for the next gay pride parade, and didn’t have the time to pay tribute to someone that had paid the utlimate sacrifice.
As far as Obammie goes: the animal rights activists won’t forget (conservatives like myself won’t let them).
God forgive me I hate liberals.
God forgive me I hate liberals
I bet not as much as my-self.
Have two sisters who married Democrats, don’t speak to either and, have no intentions in doing so. Vote to keep the liberals in power is a vote for abortion and Gay Rights.
it shows she didn’t write the letter but probably had someone on her staff do it.
Secondly, I sure has hell wouldn’t want to talk to obama about my son if he had died in the war.
I would speak with people who knew him and loved him as we all did and in our lives...that means family and GOOD FRIENDS. Not the president or some senator or whatever she is. I think the media gets involved too much in the private lives of those who lose family members and I would never speak to anyone in the media about anything much less something so personal as a loss like that family has suffered.
Rest in peace to the young soldier and thanks to him for his service. To his family and good friends I wish them peace and calm as they deal with this devastating loss.
To the rest .... who cares.
“In fact, BO is a hateful anti-american tyrant put in office by illiterate voters and money largely from foreign powers that seek to redistribute US wealth out of the country.’
best written more accuate sentence I have seen. Nicely done
My heart goes out to that family. What a disgusting careless lazy error
And yet, many in the military (and their families) vote for DemocRATS. This is what they support.
Prayers for God’s comfort on this dear family and their friends and loved ones...
Who will the Republicans nominate to run against Cantwell?
Is Dino Rossi available again? /s
I once worked for the Washington state senate. As a committee staffer, you always knew the good legislators from bad.
The bad ones always blamed their staff and committee staff for their own mistakes.(as did Cantvotewell did in saying her staff was shorthanded over the holidays).
http://cantwell.senate.gov/contact/index.cfm
Here is what I just sent to her:
Ms. Cantwell,
I am not a constituent of yours but I am an American Citizen and a proud mother of a Soldier who is getting ready to deploy.
How sad, that you could not take the time to properly send your condolences to the parents of Sgt. Sean Collins. How do you wake up and look yourself in the mirror each morning? A form letter? Only to be topped off with the wrong name! Wow, just wow. Oh, I am sure it is not YOUR fault, a staffer made the error, right? You should be ashamed that you sent a “form” letter to a Gold Star family.
It is both the Politician and the Soldier who swears and oath to defend the Constitution. Only the Soldier keeps the promise!
Sgt. Sean Collins wrote a check to the United States of America and it’s citizens, paid in full by giving his life.....You on the other hand only care about the checks that go into your campaign coffers! That much is obvious.
Thank you for your message to the senator. This is especially touching, to me, knowing you are giving the country the gift of an American solider.
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