2008 Woodie Awards
Many angered over use of 9/11 ads
Carol Perea, TVI Times (Albuquerque Technical-Vocational Institute
Issue date: 4/5/04 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
(U-WIRE) ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Images of Ground Zero and firefighters carrying a stretcher through the ruins of the World Trade Center depicted in President Bush's new campaign ads and have aroused anger and disbelief in some of the firefighters, and some of the victims' families.
The ad begins by showing Bush walking toward the camera while saying, "I'm George W. Bush and I approved this ad." Then the brief images of the remains of the World Trade Center, firefighters, and the American Flag are flashed across the screen.
According to the Associated Press, the International Association of Firefighters Union has asked the Bush campaign to pull the ads. Firefighters are shown in all of the ads that have aired so far, and this has ignited anger in some of them.
"We're not going to stand for him [Bush] to put his arm around one of our members on top of a pile of rubble at Ground Zero during a tragedy and then stand by and watch him cut money for first responders," said Harold Schaitberger, the firefighter union's president.
Some relatives of 9/11 victims were also enraged by the use of these images for what they consider "political gain."
"It's a slap in the face of the murders of 3,000 people," says Monica Gabrielle, whose husband perished in the attack.
"It is unconscionable," she said.
Bush's campaign advisors defend the ads and the use of the images saying they demonstrate his "steady leadership."
CNN's Broadcast News refers to the use of 9/11 images as "a defining day in the Bush presidency" and point out "saying that he can't mention 9/11 is the same as saying he can't mention tax cuts."
The Bush administration has said that the images in the ad were carefully chosen and were intended to show Bush as a capable leader in the war against terrorism. Also, the ads were meant to be a reminder of a shared national experience while honoring the dead.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "Sept. 11 changed the equation in our public policy. It forever changed the world. The President's steady leadership is vital to how we wage war on terrorism."
But despite the disapproval, there are some relatives of 9/11 victims who consider the ads to be a respectful reminder of their dead loved ones.
"These images honor those whose lives were lost," says Debra Burlingame, the sister of the pilot whose plane was forced to crash into the Pentagon.
The first three ads focused mainly on Bush's strengths as a leader and did not include any mention of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. The ads were first shown at Bush campaign headquarters in the suburban Washington area on Wednesday, March 3, 2004. They will continue to air on broadcast channels in 18 states and on select cable channels. They will run throughout what some political observers are predicting will be a "gloves off" campaign.
The ad begins by showing Bush walking toward the camera while saying, "I'm George W. Bush and I approved this ad." Then the brief images of the remains of the World Trade Center, firefighters, and the American Flag are flashed across the screen.
According to the Associated Press, the International Association of Firefighters Union has asked the Bush campaign to pull the ads. Firefighters are shown in all of the ads that have aired so far, and this has ignited anger in some of them.
"We're not going to stand for him [Bush] to put his arm around one of our members on top of a pile of rubble at Ground Zero during a tragedy and then stand by and watch him cut money for first responders," said Harold Schaitberger, the firefighter union's president.
Some relatives of 9/11 victims were also enraged by the use of these images for what they consider "political gain."
"It's a slap in the face of the murders of 3,000 people," says Monica Gabrielle, whose husband perished in the attack.
"It is unconscionable," she said.
Bush's campaign advisors defend the ads and the use of the images saying they demonstrate his "steady leadership."
CNN's Broadcast News refers to the use of 9/11 images as "a defining day in the Bush presidency" and point out "saying that he can't mention 9/11 is the same as saying he can't mention tax cuts."
The Bush administration has said that the images in the ad were carefully chosen and were intended to show Bush as a capable leader in the war against terrorism. Also, the ads were meant to be a reminder of a shared national experience while honoring the dead.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "Sept. 11 changed the equation in our public policy. It forever changed the world. The President's steady leadership is vital to how we wage war on terrorism."
But despite the disapproval, there are some relatives of 9/11 victims who consider the ads to be a respectful reminder of their dead loved ones.
"These images honor those whose lives were lost," says Debra Burlingame, the sister of the pilot whose plane was forced to crash into the Pentagon.
The first three ads focused mainly on Bush's strengths as a leader and did not include any mention of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. The ads were first shown at Bush campaign headquarters in the suburban Washington area on Wednesday, March 3, 2004. They will continue to air on broadcast channels in 18 states and on select cable channels. They will run throughout what some political observers are predicting will be a "gloves off" campaign.
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