Niemiec
On Sunday, I wrote that John Niemiec said, “Many of you have seen that another lawsuit was filed yesterday in federal court against Fairfax County naming several of our members. It is unfortunate that some choose to take the opportunity to claim personal agendas as we all continue to grieve the loss of our Sister Nicole.”
In retrospect, I think focusing solely on the Tomasello lawsuit was a mistake on my part and here’s why.
Niemiec is clearly using the plural in his roundup of perceived scoundrels: “…some choose to take the opportunity to claim personal agendas…”
He refers to anyone seeking redress in the judicial system, including, for example, Magaly Hernandez.
If you decide to defend yourself, according to Niemiec you have a “personal agenda.”
Now, that’s an odd statement for a union official to make, very odd, indeed.
Moreover, it is obviously prejudicial toward those seeking redress, but it’s even worse than that.
Niemiec’s last clause, “we all continue to grieve the loss of our Sister Nicole” presupposes both that the litigants do not also grieve, but that Mittendorff, were she alive, would not, in fact, support them in their endeavor.
He claims to channel Nicole from beyond the grave in a thinly veiled “she’s on our side” gambit.
And, his use of “our Sister” in a sentence intended to marginalize women protecting themselves is doubly despicable.
Mittendorff is used by Niemiec to set the litigants apart but also to damn them for acting on their own behalf.
It is a cynical use of the death of Nicole Mittendorff.
Two questions.
One, ask yourself just who is he playing to with such comments?
And, just how does that respect the life of Nicole Mittendorff?