A MOTHER'S RAGE
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 08:42AM Yesterday, I reported on how UK PM Gordon Brown had angered the mother of a UK soldier tragically killed in Afghanistan by writing her a note in which he appeared to mis-spell his name. A public furore erupted and then he decided to call her. Here is what she said to him..
'Mr Brown, listen to me,' she said. 'I know every injury my child sustained that day. I know that my son could have survived but my son bled to death.
'How would you like it if one of your children, God forbid, went to a war doing something that he thought, where he was helping protect his Queen and country and because of lack, lack of helicopters, lack of equipment, your child bled to death and then you had the coroner have to tell you his every injury?'
Mr Brown denied troops lacked equipment and said he felt 'very strongly' about the issue. He added that he understood, but wanted to offer his condolences, rather than interact in a political debate.
When is a hole, stop digging.
Gordon Brown. 
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Reader Comments (17)
Gordon Brown,
A completely different personality to his mate Tony, but also well on his way to his way completely losing the respect of the British people.
How can you feel sorry for a man who so desperately wanted the job?
Where Tony smarmed and simpered, Gordon scowls and clunks his way from one crisis to another.
The perception is that Tony enjoyed the thrill of deploying the military because of the power and publicity spin offs it gave him
Gordon appears not to like the military much at all, but desperately wants to appear statesmanlike.
When you've lost 200+ fine young men in an unpopular and probably unwinnable war, it's time to start showing you really understand the cost and getting out amongst the parents and families who are paying the price in blood, not £££££'s
This lady consumed with grief and anger gives him what for, and he tries to justify himself.
The woman has lost her son fighting for his country, Gordon! See it from her perspective not yours; just take it on the chin and join the rest of us in showing some real sorrow.
I am no fan of Browns but he is being criticised for trying to show a bit of humanity. This woman sells her story to the Sun and then tape records a private telephone conversation to also give to the Sun.
She may be grieving but she may also be conniving either to get money from a newspaper or score political points against Brown.
Neither is very attractive.
Michael, That mother has every right to do what she has done. To show Gordon Brown and this Government up in its true light for this might be the only weapon she has.
Her son has made the ultimate sacrifice and she and her family will suffer for the rest of their lives because of it. He has not given up his life for a good cause. Far from it. He was not defending his country but being used by useless politicians who have taken the wrong decision.
Just look at the cortege once more today passing through Wootton Bassett. Can Gordon I wonder without shedding a tear? How long for God's sake are we going to tolerate this situation? Make whatever argument you will, but this insane conflict must stop. We are in more danger here at home from home grown terrorists and the utter wickedness of sending our soldiers into a war zone ill-equipped is nothing better than using them as 'cannon fodder.' If this conflict must continue then use of air warfare must be the only way.
If the soldier's mothers actions help bring an end to this insanity then she will have saved countless more from needless death. If Brown wants to show any humanity at all then he must know in his heart the course of action he should take - and without delay.
Michael, The more I read your comment the more despicable I think it is. To talk of the mother 'conniving to get money' is lower than low. How in hell is money going to give her back the son she has lost in such terrible circumstances.
Michael
You might be right about the Sun involvement, but we mustn't lose sight of where this mother is coming from. And this has been repeated more than two hundred times up and down the country. Two hundred mothers grieving for their sons. All that love, all the joy of watching them grow up and taking pride in their achivements -now all for nothing.
That's the issue here: not some 'tiff' between a newspaper and a politician.
I despise and hate Brown and his party...but to his credit he did write a personal letter: and to bitch about his spelling is ridiiculous and petty. Then she to run to the newspapers, she just shows the state of Britain now with its compansation mentality...Attacking Brown is one thing. To do it to make money is another.
Good for her!
Coaldust
We are bitching about him spelling her son's name wrong. It is inexcusable and terribly insulting in the circumstances.
However I read over someone's shoulder today that he has apologised and that has been accepted.
'However I read over someone's shoulder...'
Completely inexcusable.
aileen, getting her son's name wrong is just an easy spelling mistake. Even dikheads like Brown can do that.
He did send a personal handwritten letter?
And milking her son's death just to get herself in the papers...etc, Shows she has no self-respect .
it she wants to bitch and attack brown, she should do it after her son's funeral. And not for money.
The death of her son should come first........
....................Some people are easily lead by sensation creating newspapers...........
Coaldust -
When Brown read out his name in the Commons last week, he got it wrong.
In the letter he got his name wrong again and also his rank.
How many mistakes can Brown make before you wonder if he has no interest at all in the subject?
Coaldust
No sorry Yes Anyone can make a spelling mistake but it is inexcusable not to check that thoroughly before sending it out to a bereaved mother.
I didn't pick up on the money thing. Are we sure she was paid for it?
Pete, i have written many times Brown is a dikhead...but he did `try' with writting a hand-written letter to a bereaved mother. And this subject is also a mother milking the death of her son...
aileen......the sun pays money for stories...no story no money..........
If she has been paid by the Sun that is wrong. She has absolutely every right to tear into Gordon over the serious matters about the provision of equipment and the conduct of the war but I also get the felling that the Sun is exploiting her to ring every ounce of 'outrage' they can from this story. The whole business about the letter was pathetic and mean minded and adiversion from the important business of the protection of and direction given to the young men and women out there.
Coaldust -
Hang on, she just lost her son and blames the man who sent him to war. Let's get this the right way around. She's just heard the worst news that any parent can hear. She listed to Brown the wounds her son suffered. Go and listen to the recording if you can. It's tough, but you'd realise she's worthy of no blame or censure here.
Let's get something else right: in that call she told Brown she's going away for a moment to get his letter - and Brown carried on talking. He wasn't even listening!
The Sun paid no money. It's in a battle with the government. The paper came out for Cameron and the Labour Party responded with a political war, tearing up the paper on the stage of the Labour conference and smearing it. Well the Sun is bound to respond.. That's its motivation.
I am simply at a loss to see why people can't see how intensly painful it could be to receive a letter from the PM in these circumstances with the name spelt wrongly and thus how terrible (verging on cruelty not to check this before sending it).
Pete, you do stay up late...first off pete like her I would blame brown for lack of equipment and the death of my son etc.. But she had just lost her son just like you say. Any normal person would have been in a mess of emotions and not be able to thing straight coping with a death of a loving son. I know has i have had to deal with simular deaths.
But not she...straight away she is in touch with a newspaper and even as the presence of mind to prepare to record a telephone conversation. You can not blame the sun for that.
On sky news when it shows her, and in one corner of the picture it states `sun exclusive'. that means money.
aileen, i have checked my own letters and still missed mistakes. In this situation people just want to attack for attacking sake..
This has now run its couse for me...........................
Coaldust,
Are you married?
My experience is that ladies don't take kindly to mistakes re names, spelling names, forgetting significant dates and events etc.etc.
I for one am glad they don't.
One, I believe in the equality of the sexes: different but of equal importance.
Two, no matter how hard I try I cannot comprehend the depths of a woman's love or a mother's love.
It is beyond my understanding, but without it we would be lost.