Every election year the question is brought up of who should be endorsing political candidates. This time around, Gov. Perry started running a television campaign advertisement featuring the widow of slain Houston police officer, Rodney Johnson. Sgt. Josyln Johnson claims White, as mayor of Houston, supported policies involving immigration that made it hard for police officers to safely do their job resulting in the death of her husband. White fought back accusing Gov. Perry, of “shamelessly exploiting the grief of a widow.”
The fact that White claims Sgt. Johnson is a grieving widow makes it sound like he thinks she is incapable of thinking rationally about who is qualified to be the next governor of the state. Sgt. Johnson, like her husband, is a member of the Houston police force and should not be challenged on which candidate she supports based on her grief. She knew what the immigration policies were while White was Mayor; she had to follow them every day she went to work. She has a right to throw her support behind the person she thinks will best support her ideals, especially if she feels those opposing ideals were responsible for her husband’s death.
There was no coercion used on the republican’s side to receive this endorsement for Gov. Perry. Maybe what bothers the White campaign the most: Sgt. Johnson is an admitted Democrat and chose to cross party lines to endorse Gov. Perry.
No matter what is going on in your personal life or what your political party affiliation is, everyone has the right to support the candidate of their choice. It is the American way.
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