Susan Kone To Jerrold Nadler: "Please Do Not Turn Victims Into Villains"

Press Release

Surrounded by Andrew Sullivan, Founder of the 9/11 Hardhat Pledge, Tim Brown and several family members of the victims of September 11, Susan Kone, the Republican candidate for New York's 8th Congressional District, in which Ground Zero is located, today stood in solidarity with first responders, families of the victims of September 11 and others. Kone stated:

"On September 11, 2001, our nation suffered the worst attack on the homeland in our history. Our enemies, Islamic extremists, engaged in the barbaric act of flying commercial airliners into the Twin Towers intentionally causing the horrific deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent men, women and children of all faiths and denominations. Simultaneously, attempts were made to perpetrate similar acts of terror in our nation's Capital.

There is not a person in this District, in this City or in this country that was not forever impacted by these atrocious acts of cowardice.

We cannot bring back those who were taken from us. We cannot alleviate the great anguish of those that survived them. But what we can and must do is to respect feelings of the families of the victims who I have witnessed speak out so passionately against this proposal at rallies and community board meetings. Some of them are present here today.

By their emotional pleas it is evident that this is rubbing salt in their wounds -- that in and of itself should constitute sufficient reason to halt the proposed construction. It is a matter of sensitivity. It is a matter of respect. It is a matter of common decency.

This is not a question of the right to build a mosque - or a question of religious freedom -- it is a question of a very poor and insensitive choice of location. I would hope those in a position to do so would reconsider their decision and build their community center and mosque at another location."

Kone continued "I would also hope that the current congressman in this district, 29-year career politician Jerrold Nadler, would stop turning victims into villains. Regretably, He has not listened to the vast majority of his constituents and the vast majority of Americans - and, unfortunately, has labeled those who have views and sensitivities different than his as "shameful', "hateful' and "divisive.' He has accused them of engaging in "hate speech'. I can tell you -- listening to them that theirs is not hate speech - but hurt speech - passionate pleas for respect and understanding.

It's frustrating that Mr. Nadler too often portrays innocent people as guilty because they dare to disagree with him." "Ironically, Mr. Nadler is talking about Americans as if they are un-American in an effort to intimidate them into silence. In meeting many families, brave first responders and others profoundly impacted by the tragedy -- these people are not un-American - on the contrary - they are what America is all about."

Kone concluded "It's a shame, but Mr. Nadler is saying that people in the 8th Congressional District are the problem; but the real problem is his insensitivity and his unwillingness to listen to the genuine concerns of so many people."

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