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It was during the McCarthy Hearings in the 1950s that Army attorney Joseph Welch asked Sen. McCarthy, the father of modern-day negative attacks, “Have you no sense of decency sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”
The time has come to ask Mr. Welch’s question again. Is there no decency left in the Colorado Democratic leadership? My son, Ali Hasan, is running for House District 56, and, according to the editor-in-chief of the Vail Daily, is the only candidate who has been the victim of negative attacks perpetrated by Democratic Party leadership and allies of Ali’s opponent, Rep. Christine Scanlan.
Throughout the summer, a 527 organization funded by Tim Gill and Pat Stryker has sent mailers in support of Rep. Scanlan, four sent this summer and three in the last few weeks. They have now sent an eighth mailer, which viciously attacks Ali on issues very close to my and Ali’s hearts. I understand that in elections such things happen, but these were not only unfair attacks but not true and I would go so far as to say blatant lies. Particularly when one considers that Ali has kept his promise not do any negative campaigning.
One of the blatant lies hurled about Ali in this latest mailer hurts Ali and my family very deeply as it relates to breast cancer. Anyone event tangentially associated with Ali’s campaign knows how passionately he feels about breast cancer. In his advertisements this summer he has talked about breast cancer. Almost exactly one year ago, Ali’s only living grandparent, and my only living parent, passed away because of a rapidly progressive kind of breast cancer. Out of support for her during her chemotherapy, he shaved his head when she lost her hair.
The negative mailer says that Ali will not let women have mammograms. This nefarious accusation is truly painful for Ali and our whole family to read when we are still mourning our mother and grandmother, who died and suffered tremendously because of breast cancer. How could someone so deeply affected by breast cancer, so much so that he shaved his own hair to show his support, be against mammograms? How can it be allowed for someone to say something like this? Do they have no sense of decorum? Are these people so blinded in their hatred of Republicans that they will say anything, even tell blatant lies?
I feel very strongly that Rep. Scanlan should condemn these hurtful, negative 527 mailers in strong words, clarifying that Ali Hasan would never be against mammogram screening, and that there is no basis to believe otherwise. I can assure that my son would do the same thing if the situation were reversed, as it is the only fair thing to do.
Further, Democratic Party leadership’s use of my son’s Islamic faith as a smear is totally wrong. Sen. Obama was essentially born half-Muslim. We know he is no longer a Muslim, but Democrats rightly point out that it is unfair to emphasize his middle name, “Hussein,” in a negative fashion, much less say that he is a Muslim.
So why is a Democratic 527 attacking my son for being a Muslim? First, the Democrats did a phone push poll saying that Ali is a Muslim. Now in this negative mailer they are attacking him again for being a Muslim.
The Colorado Democratic chairman should condemn this statement and offer an apology to our family. Tim Gill and Pat Stryker should apologize that their money was used to make a religiously motivated, bigoted and ad hominem attack. There is no place in modern-day America for these kinds of attacks, and, finally, one politician, my son, has refused to engage in it, and his opponent’s allies are the first to exploit his progressiveness.
No one, including evangelical Christians, have ever made any bigoted remark about Ali’s religion and have treated him with respect and fairness, with the exception of the leadership of the Democratic Party, Tim Gill and Pat Stryker, who claim to represent “liberal” Democrats.
I will earnestly request that true liberal Democrats, who are supposed to be known for their religious tolerance and open mindedness, repudiate such tactics by the Democratic Party leadership, including Tim Gill and Pat Stryker.
It wasn’t so long ago that this type of intolerant thinking caused charitable organizations to refuse contributions from Tim Gill’s Gay and Lesbian Fund. In the entire Southern Colorado I was the first person to gladly accept his contribution to my annual summer music charity event in Southern Colorado. I was condemned for this, but I stood my ground. I am dismayed that instead of simply remaining silent and showing some solidarity with a warrior for social fairness, Mr. Gill immediately espoused the attitude used against his organization.
Have you, sir and lady, no sense of decency?
Seeme Hasan
The time has come to ask Mr. Welch’s question again. Is there no decency left in the Colorado Democratic leadership? My son, Ali Hasan, is running for House District 56, and, according to the editor-in-chief of the Vail Daily, is the only candidate who has been the victim of negative attacks perpetrated by Democratic Party leadership and allies of Ali’s opponent, Rep. Christine Scanlan.
Throughout the summer, a 527 organization funded by Tim Gill and Pat Stryker has sent mailers in support of Rep. Scanlan, four sent this summer and three in the last few weeks. They have now sent an eighth mailer, which viciously attacks Ali on issues very close to my and Ali’s hearts. I understand that in elections such things happen, but these were not only unfair attacks but not true and I would go so far as to say blatant lies. Particularly when one considers that Ali has kept his promise not do any negative campaigning.
One of the blatant lies hurled about Ali in this latest mailer hurts Ali and my family very deeply as it relates to breast cancer. Anyone event tangentially associated with Ali’s campaign knows how passionately he feels about breast cancer. In his advertisements this summer he has talked about breast cancer. Almost exactly one year ago, Ali’s only living grandparent, and my only living parent, passed away because of a rapidly progressive kind of breast cancer. Out of support for her during her chemotherapy, he shaved his head when she lost her hair.
The negative mailer says that Ali will not let women have mammograms. This nefarious accusation is truly painful for Ali and our whole family to read when we are still mourning our mother and grandmother, who died and suffered tremendously because of breast cancer. How could someone so deeply affected by breast cancer, so much so that he shaved his own hair to show his support, be against mammograms? How can it be allowed for someone to say something like this? Do they have no sense of decorum? Are these people so blinded in their hatred of Republicans that they will say anything, even tell blatant lies?
I feel very strongly that Rep. Scanlan should condemn these hurtful, negative 527 mailers in strong words, clarifying that Ali Hasan would never be against mammogram screening, and that there is no basis to believe otherwise. I can assure that my son would do the same thing if the situation were reversed, as it is the only fair thing to do.
Further, Democratic Party leadership’s use of my son’s Islamic faith as a smear is totally wrong. Sen. Obama was essentially born half-Muslim. We know he is no longer a Muslim, but Democrats rightly point out that it is unfair to emphasize his middle name, “Hussein,” in a negative fashion, much less say that he is a Muslim.
So why is a Democratic 527 attacking my son for being a Muslim? First, the Democrats did a phone push poll saying that Ali is a Muslim. Now in this negative mailer they are attacking him again for being a Muslim.
The Colorado Democratic chairman should condemn this statement and offer an apology to our family. Tim Gill and Pat Stryker should apologize that their money was used to make a religiously motivated, bigoted and ad hominem attack. There is no place in modern-day America for these kinds of attacks, and, finally, one politician, my son, has refused to engage in it, and his opponent’s allies are the first to exploit his progressiveness.
No one, including evangelical Christians, have ever made any bigoted remark about Ali’s religion and have treated him with respect and fairness, with the exception of the leadership of the Democratic Party, Tim Gill and Pat Stryker, who claim to represent “liberal” Democrats.
I will earnestly request that true liberal Democrats, who are supposed to be known for their religious tolerance and open mindedness, repudiate such tactics by the Democratic Party leadership, including Tim Gill and Pat Stryker.
It wasn’t so long ago that this type of intolerant thinking caused charitable organizations to refuse contributions from Tim Gill’s Gay and Lesbian Fund. In the entire Southern Colorado I was the first person to gladly accept his contribution to my annual summer music charity event in Southern Colorado. I was condemned for this, but I stood my ground. I am dismayed that instead of simply remaining silent and showing some solidarity with a warrior for social fairness, Mr. Gill immediately espoused the attitude used against his organization.
Have you, sir and lady, no sense of decency?
Seeme Hasan
