Stunted Souls

A few days back, I posted about the truly unhinged reaction a number of people in the Seattle area had when Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had a picture taken with George W. Bush. Many of the reactions were, at best, deranged, at worst, hateful. So much for that liberal tolerance, eh?

One guy told him: "I hate you, I'll never wear your jersey, I'll never like the Seahawks again."

"Huh?" Hasselbeck thought. "Seriously?"

"Politics can be very mean and dirty," he said. "The things politicians say about each other, and what activists say, I had a brief glimpse of that for a couple of days.

"If I ever had any questions about whether I wanted to run for office, I now know the answer — I don't."

Best-selling author JA Jance happens to have a very personal story about Matt Hasselbeck that she posted over at her blog. It is, I think, very relevant.

At this time last year, things were pretty tough around here.  Our son-in-law, Jon, was in the University of Washington Hospital fighting through the last few months of his nine year battle with melanoma.  Jon was in the Coast Guard at the time he was first diagnosed and continued to work in and for the Coast Guard until he was no longer able to do so.

 Sometime during that long difficult time, a person whose name I don't know–a person with connections to both the Coasties and to the Seattle Seahawks–made arrangements for Seahawk quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck, to come visit Jon in his hospital room.  It was supposed to be a half-hour photo op type visit.  He stayed for two hours.  He brought along an autographed football and a pair of shoes–cleats–for Jon's son Colt to "grow into."  There were pictures.  Pictures of Matt with Jon, with Colt, with our daughter, Jeanne T., and with hospital nurses and doctors as well.  And there was talking–guy to guy talking about sports, about life, and also about faith.  Even from the waiting room across the hall, it was a very moving thing to witness.  Once Matt left, Jon was on a high that had nothing to do with his pain meds.  In a very dark time, that visit was a vivid splash of light. 

Go read the whole thing, because the story does not end there. Matt Hasselbeck has more grace, class and humanity than any - no, make that all - of the stunted souls who screeched and wailed about a photograph. Every last one of you who did so should be ashamed of yourselves.

• 

  By Sylvia, Tuesday, 11 September , 2007 @ 5:09 pm

  Gaius, thank you for continuing to cover this thread.

  I subscribed to Mrs. Jance’s blog — hadn’t known she had one.

• 

  By Gaius, Tuesday, 11 September , 2007 @ 5:29 pm

  She’s a good friend and a very nice person.

• 

  By Quilly Mammoth, Tuesday, 11 September , 2007 @ 8:08 pm

  You have a lot more grace than I would have had in relating this story. The more I read about Matt Hasslebeck…purely because of the crap he got…the more outraged, and indeed saddened,I am by what America’s Liberals have become.

  This story, the besmirching of General Petraeus and on and on…outrages done by sick,disgusting,hate filled vermin. The hair lice of the American political process.

• 

  By Gaius, Tuesday, 11 September , 2007 @ 8:35 pm

  I hold back a lot, QM. It is too easy to go their route. Though sometimes it is very, very hard to hold it back.

Other Links to this Post

1. Blue Crab Boulevard » Fun With Acronyms — Tuesday, 18 September , 2007 @ 6:28 pm