Carly Fiorina Accused of ‘Ambushing’ Pre-Schoolers for Anti-Abortion Photo Op

[MrWendel]

http://www.mediaite.com/online/carly-fiorina-accused-of-ambushing-pre-schoolers-for-anti-abortion-photo-op/



Yesterday, presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina allegedly herded an unsuspecting group of pre-schoolers into an anti-abortion event while they were on a field trip in Des Moines, Iowa. She was hosting a “right to life” event at the botanical garden the kids were visiting and sources say she directed 15 of the children to move up to sit at the front of the room with her.

As the kids sat on the floor looking bemused, photographers snapped their picture and the former Hewlett-Packard CEO addressed the crowd with her infamous tirade against the “harvesting of organs” that she insists is done during abortion procedures. Behind the candidate and the kids, a banner with a picture of a fetus on it was displayed prominently.

Parents did not consent to having their children become scenery in Fiorina’s anti-abortion photo op and are speaking out, reports The Guardian. Chris Beck, whose four-year-old was among those wrangled into the rally, said, “The kids went there to see the plants. She ambushed my son’s field trip.”
Beck went on to point out that not only was he not asked if his child could participate in a presidential campaign event, but that the content of the event was extremely inappropriate. “I would not want my four-year-old going to that forum – he can’t fully comprehend that stuff. He likes dinosaurs, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Transformers,” he said.

Using kids as props is not a new tactic for anti-abortion activists, but it is also not one that has yielded much success. Protestors who stood outside of Two Rivers Charter School in Washington, D.C., are being sued by the school for harassing children on their way to class. The protesters are alleged to have stationed themselves outside of every entrance to the school once families began trying to sneak their children in through alternate doors. Some protestors yelled “they kill kids nearby” in reference to a Planned Parenthood being built a few doors down. Others held signs that said, “They kill babies nearby! Tell your parents to stop them!”

Fiorina’s “ambush,” to borrow Beck’s phrase, is another example of using kids as weapons in the culture war surrounding abortion. No matter where a person stands on a contentious social issue, many agree that children have no place in demonstrations that involve phrases referencing “killing kids” or “harvesting organs.”

A spokesperson for Fiorina told The Guardian that the camp was “happy that these children chose to come to Carly’s event with their adult supervisor,” so it does not appear that any type of apology to upset parents is forthcoming.

Regardless of if an apology comes, Beck, at least, seems to have made up his mind: “I do not know enough about Carly to support her and after today, she wouldn’t get my vote for sure.”

[Backwoodsrider]

1. she is toast

Wonder if this act she pulled could help Fiorina end her presidential run and hope for a possible cabinet position from primary winner? She has some wealthy supporters wonder if she has to spend her PAC down before she "suspends" her campaign??

[Glimmer of Hope]

2. She is an awful person.

[smirkymonkey]

3. She makes me absolutely sick!

What a horrible thing to do.

[HughBeaumont]

4. I thought firing 30,000 workers while voting herself more money was the lowest of the low.

I was wrong.

She's not a politician, she's a punchline. And the joke's on us.

[B Calm]

5. Anybody who would cast a vote for her needs their head examined!

[SDJay]

6. I Would Go Fucking Wild

if she pulled this shit with my 3-year-old. I mean hair-on-fire, flames-shooting-out-of-my-ass wild. I'd tear the people from the preschool who allowed this a new asshole and I'd make it my mission in life to make sure as many people as possible knew that this shitty person basically falsely imprisoned my toddler for her own fucked up political cause.

Holy crap is she just an awful human being.

[TeamPooka]

7. Fiorina seems like the kind of person a waiter regrets getting seated at his table. nt

[Eugene]

8. This is as dumb as it is outrageous.

Only the wackiest of true believers might go for this.

[mrdmk]

9. There rules and ethics to photograph people for public distribution, this example is a travesty

A cause cannot misrepresent an event as done in this instance. The media including The Guardian knows this.

Why this photograph is on a public Website without written and signed permission by the proper parties is beyond me.

I am appalled to say the least.