Mendenhall's Dumb Mea Culpa (Well - His PR Team's)

So Mendenhall's initial tweets have been covered in the prior post here (Mendenhall - Hypocrite Misogynist Hiding Behind God).  Today, almost two days after, he releases a statement I'd like to break down and break the heck apart.  It's first off, incredibly insulting.  What's more important is what it doesn't say.  You see, one of the worst tweets Mendenhall put up, was deleted within a few hours of his posting.  A few caught it.  I chose not to include it in my original story because it was only up for a short time and it was along the same thread as the others, however, given his new statement, it's now clear that it's incredibly insulting.  The original tweet:

More after jump



You see, in the vast spaces of the internet, nothing is really gone.  Especially when you are a celebrity.  You can delete a Tweet from your own Twitter, but dozens of sites are constantly taking tweets from celebrities from their own sites and live updating them for the gossip obsessed.  These are saved in their own databases forever.  Whomever was on Mendenhall's PR team should know this.  Especially if they let him use social media.  That's why the following PR statement is that much worse (and yes PR guy, we know Mendenhall's speaking and writing capabilities, so please, don't go so far overboard next time, boy can play ball):

I appreciate those of you who have decided to read this letter and attain a greater understanding of my recent twitter posts. I see how they have gotten misconstrued, and wanted to use this outlet as a way to clear up all things that do not truthfully represent myself, what I stand for personally, and any organization that I am a part of.

            First, I want people to understand that I am not in support of Bin Laden, or against the USA. I understand how devastating 9/11 was to this country and to the people whose families were affected. Not just in the US, but families all over the world who had relatives in the World Trade Centers. My heart goes out to the troops who fight for our freedoms everyday, not being certain if they will have the opportunity to return home, and the families who watch their loved ones bravely go off to war. Last year, I was grateful enough to have the opportunity to travel over seas and participate in a football camp put on for the children of US troops stationed in Germany. It was a special experience. These events have had a significant impact in my life.

           

“What kind of person celebrates death? It's amazing how people can HATE a man they have never even heard speak. We've only heard one side...”

         

            This controversial statement was something I said in response to the amount of joy I saw in the event of a murder. I don’t believe that this is an issue of politics or American pride; but one of religion, morality, and human ethics. In the bible, Ezekiel 33:11 states, “Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!...”. I wasn’t questioning Bin Laden’s evil acts. I believe that he will have to face God for what he has done. I was reflecting on our own hypocrisy. During 9/11 we watched in horror as parts of the world celebrated death on our soil. Earlier this week, parts of the world watched us in horror celebrating a man’s death.   

            Nothing I said was meant to stir up controversy. It was my way to generate conversation. In looking at my timeline in its entirety, everything that I’ve said is with the intent of expressing a wide array of ideas and generating open and honest discussions, something I believe we as American citizens should be able to do. Most opinions will not be fully agreed upon and are not meant to be. However, I believe every opinion should be respected or at least given some thought. I apologize for the timing as such a sensitive matter, but it was not meant to do harm. I apologize to anyone I unintentionally harmed with anything that I said, or any hurtful interpretation that was made and put in my name. 

           It was only meant to encourage anyone reading it to think. 

 Well, gee - you support the people involved in 9/11?  You know, I've constantly stated (as I'm proud to be) that I'm a Navy granddaughter, Army daughter and niece and Air Force wife.  My grandfather was a lifer, my dad just got back from Afghanistan before heading over again in several months, my husband did a couple deployments for this war... acting like you should get a medal for heading off to Germany... please.  How the hell else are you going to take "We've only heard one side."  The other side is BIN LADEN'S ya wanker!  And even then, Mendenhall refused to acknowledge all the tapes, both video and audio the dude had made laughing at the deaths of our soldiers.

"The controversial statement" was more than the one his PR guy chose to address.  The problem was (and given the misogynist tweets that existed on his account I pointed to yesterday and others I didn't from weeks before, I will take credit for!) not just that one statement, but the others around it, leading up to it and the days before it.

It's interesting however, that this statement mentions "in looking at my timeline" because half of it has vanished.  If it was so thought provoking and this statement was actually sincere, you'd defend your statements as a man, clarify what you meant and stand behind what you said with the clarification.  But the fact is, you were wrong.  You are too cowardly to just stand up and say "I was wrong" or "this is what I really meant".  You are trying to erase what you said.  It won't ever go away.  For that, it just makes you look that much worse.  And because of that, it makes my team look worse.  If you had even said, I deleted some of the dumber crap I said, including some immature crap I said about women, I'd have a little respect.  But nope, you chickened out.