As our nation was observing the 11th anniversary of the day when America was attacked by terrorists, other attacks on America were unfolding — this time nearly halfway around the world.
One attack appears to have been triggered by a fatuous film insulting Islam and those of Islamic faith, concocted under false pretenses by a misguided, perhaps disturbed person, and certainly not representing America and Americans.
The other attack, the more serious one, the one that claimed four American lives, the one that may require intervention to “bring to justice those who took them from us,” appears to have been planned well in advance and executed to coincide with the anniversary Americans were observing.
Americans, American interests and American property have been attacked abroad before, regardless of whether the administration back home was Republican or Democrat.
Every time America was so attacked, Americans back home rallied behind their leaders, Democrats or Republicans, condemning the attackers.
Something very unusual — very sad and disturbing — happened this time, after the Cairo and Benghazi attacks.
Even before all the facts were in, even before the solemn 11th anniversary of the dastardly attack was over, even before the bodies of our four fallen heroes returned home and while our government was strongly condemning the outrageous attack on our diplomats and diplomatic facilities, the long knives came out shamelessly mischaracterizing the events and politicizing a national tragedy.
I’ll take that back. One politician, the head of the Republican Party, did have the “decency” to wait until one minute after the stroke of midnight of September 11, before attacking, not the rioters and the murderers, but the President of the United States alleging that the president “sympathizes with attackers in Egypt.”
It was different for the other politician, the man who aspires to be president of our country. That man could not wait till the September 11 anniversary was over. On the night of September 11, he approved his campaign’s statement also accusing the president of sympathizing “with those who waged the attacks.”
And the attacks on the president continued unabated — “doubling down” — during the following days, while American diplomatic facilities continued to be attacked, while American lives continued to be at risk.
Even on the day when our four slain patriots came home, the Republican vice presidential nominee was accusing the president of “indifference bordering on contempt” for Israel, attacking his leadership and suggesting that a Romney-Ryan administration would solve our problems abroad.
Some may say that this is conduct unwarranted, unprecedented and unbecoming the candidates for the two highest offices in the land. I agree.
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