Service men and women who gave their lives in defence of their country deserve the utmost respect. That’s an opinion shared by the vast majority of people, and so when we see or hear of someone disrespecting fallen soldiers, it ignites a fire that’s difficult to put out.
Lindsey Stone found this out when a co-worker snapped a picture of her swearing at a military cemetery sign asking for “Silence and Respect”. No sooner had the photo surfaced online than did Stone and her co-worker find themselves in a hailstorm of criticism. They both lost their jobs and Stone was reportedly unable to leave her house for a year as a result of threats.
People were rightly angered at such a perceived lack of sensitivity on Stones’ part, but, as is so often the case, Karma came back around to serve justice …
Error of judgement
Stone herself has since admitted to Inside Edition that she made a huge mistake. A statement delivered by her read: “We sincerely apologize for all the pain we have caused by posting the picture…We never meant any disrespect to any of the people nationwide who have served this country and defended our freedom so valiantly.”
The photo, taken at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Washington, even sparked a Facebook page titled “Fire Lindsey Stone”. It was taken down shortly after achieving its purpose.
After the incident, Stone’s father labelled his daughter’s actions “disgraceful”, but insisted it was simply a lack of judgement on her part.
“It was just a spur of the moment, total lapse of ignorant judgement,” he said.
As a result of her actions, Stone found herself unemployable for the better part of a year. She eventually secured a position working with autistic children, but even now continues to live in fear.
In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Stone admitted her mistake will haunt her for a good deal of time yet.
“I love this job so much,” she said.
“I love these kids. One of the parents paid me a really high compliment the other day. I’ve only been working with her son for a month and she was like, ‘The moment I met you, seeing the way you are with my son, and the way you treat people, you were meant to work in this field.’ But what if she found out? Would she feel the same way?”
Not only that, but it’s affected Stone’s love life as well. In the same interview, she admitted she’s retained a paranoia over whether or not potential suitors might know she was a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons.
Of course, Lindsey Stone’s actions were unwarranted and a terrible error of judgement, but it seems as though she’s certainly learnt her lesson.
We all make mistakes in life, and part of the process is learning to forgive those who have erred.
That said, at the same time we must always honor and respect those who gave their lives for us. Share if you agree!
