Letter to the Editor: Let's Not Leverage Tragedy for Politics

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Photo of Molly Tibbetts

Every Mother’s Nightmare

When University of Iowa student, Mollie Tibbetts, went missing while on a run, my heart sank and I had a physical reaction to her disappearance.  How often had my own daughters jogged alone against my advice? How often do they still do so? It could easily have been them.

When her body was found, I was deeply saddened and couldn’t imagine the grief her parents were feeling.

When her alleged killer was arrested, I was relieved. If this man was her killer, he was now in police custody and unable to harm anyone else.

When I realized that the suspect was an illegal immigrant, I felt a range of emotions. Among those emotions was dread. Why? I believed that anti-immigration forces would use this alleged killer as their rallying cry for hatred and bigotry and, indeed, that is precisely what transpired. “This is why we have to build that WALL!” and,“Remember Mollie Tibbetts when you vote in November!”

When I read the courageous and compassionate words of Mollie’s Aunt, Billie Jo Calderwood, I was filled with gratitude. She stated, “Please remember, evil comes in EVERY color.” “Our family has been blessed to be surrounded by love, friendship and support throughout this entire ordeal by friends from all different nations and races,” she added. “From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”

When I vote in November, I will be thinking of Mollie Tibbetts and the individuals who tried to leverage her tragic death for their political agenda. I will be voting for the candidates who offer reasoned solutions to our Nation’s immigration challenges. I will be voting for those candidates who support an agenda of compassion, equality, and the rule of law and will hold our Nation’s leaders to that standard. I will be voting for progressive Democrats. I hope you will, too.

Kathy Kadilak

The Plains

The opinion expressed in this article is solely that of the author and not necessarily shared by Bristow Beat or its sponsors. 

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