Ann Romney: Mormon missions and U.S. military are different ways of serving By David Edwards Thursday, October 18, 2012 14:26 EDT Print Ann Romney appears on "The View" Topics: Ann Romney ♦ whoopi goldberg
The wife of Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney on Thursday said that her husband and sons had not joined the U.S. military but had found different ways of serving by going on religious missions in France, England, Australia and Chile as part of their obligation to the Mormon church.
During an interview on ABCs The View, co-host Whoopi Goldberg asked Ann Romney how she would explain to the families of fallen soldiers why her husband and sons had not served their country.
When I read about your husband, what I had read and maybe you can correct this is that the reason he didnt serve in Vietnam was because it was against the religion, Goldberg said.
Thats not correct, Ann Romney insisted. He was serving his mission, and my five sons have also served missions. None served in the military, but I do have one son that feels that hes giving back to his country in a significant way where he is now a doctor and he is taking care of veterans.
So, you know, we find different ways of serving, she added. And my husband and my five boys did serve missions, did not serve in the military.
The candidates wife explained that Mormon missions were like military service in that youre going outside of yourself, youre working and youre helping others. And it changes you. And are we so grateful in this country for those people men and women that are volunteering, theyre sacrificing their life for us, and we cannot forget that or we have to acknowledge that always.
So, when youre facing these mothers whose children have not come back, how will you explain to them that your sons havent gone? Goldberg pressed. Will you talk about the missions theyve gone on?
I would say its probably the hardest thing that a president and a first lady probably do is to comfort those that have lost a love one and have gone in harms way, Ann Romney replied, not directly answering the question. It is an amazing country, we have the most extraordinary fighting men and women, and we have to be so grateful for them. Of course, its hard, and I dont think that any of us can understand the sacrifice [sic] that are being made by families.
Mitt Romney announced earlier this week that he had canceled his Thursday appearance on The View due to scheduling problems.
In a secretly-recorded video released by Mother Jones last month, the former Massachusetts governor told wealthy donors that going on The View was a high-risk proposition because the sharp-tongued co-hosts were not conservative enough.
Apparently the idea of sitting next to Whoopi Goldberg was just a little too intimidating, media critic Howard Kurtz told Daily Download founder Lauren Ashburn. Doesnt this make Romney look like hes avoiding a confrontation with the ladies of The View? He said he would go.
It opens him up to the argument that, how is he going to negotiate with Vladimir Putin if hes afraid of sitting down with Whoopi Goldberg? Kurtz continued. When he agreed to go on, he was down in the polls. And now: Bye, bye, Barbara.
Watch this video from ABCs The View via Mediaite, broadcast Oct. 18, 2012.