Media in Arkansas refuses to report on Democrat who rescues woman from car crash

This article was originally published on Examiner.com on May 2, 2012.

Local Arkansas media has refused to report about a Democratic congressional candidate who helped rescue a woman from a car accident.

Kenneth Aden is running for congress in the Arkansas 3rd congressional district against Steve Womack.

You may also know Mr. Aden because of his campaign manager, Jake Burris, who unfortunately made national news last January for his cat being murdered and the word LIBERAL scrawled across it.

It is a shameful commentary on the political environment of sensationalism that that story was publicized, and the story you are about to read was not.

I was contacted by Aden’s Press Secretary, Janey Peugh. After doing a short informal interview, it was imparted upon me that she had called and had been denied by several local media outlets that had plainly refused to report on the story. They were not interested. Popular local newspapers like “The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette” which is printed in Little Rock, for example, turned the story down for unknown reasons. Do not be confused by the word “Democrat”, as The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is a notoriously right leaning publication. They could not be reached by phone for comment.

Mr. Aden has been involved in a series of marathons, The “Run 2 End Hunger II“, to help raise awareness and food for the hungry. He refuses to accept cash donations and instead kindly asks for donations of non-perishable food instead.

While in the midst of running 23.6 miles on the third day of a seven day marathon that is to go for 253 miles total, Ken Aden saw an accident happen before his eyes just a mile in front of him on State Highway 7.

A female driver, noted by The Courier, Christin Cantwell, 33, had lost control of her vehicle. Her car had flipped upside down, in a ditch, in the pouring rain.

Aden, a former Army Ranger, took action and sprinted to get to the vehicle to assess the situation. Please note he had already ran several miles before doing a dead sprint which would leave many other people tired, weak, and without energy.

While others were on the scene, Aden was the person who ultimately helped the woman to safety and cleared her from the vehicle. He did this by crawling on his stomach into the flipped car, and dragging the passenger to safety. She was shaken up, with noticeable cuts and lacerations on her face, chest, and arms. Aden says he is not a hero and rejects the notion. He is quoted as saying, “This was not a heroic act, that is just silly. It is called being a good neighbor, and it is something that any other person would have done.”

Another twist to this story is Aden’s opponent, Congressmen Steve Womack. According to Opensecrets.org, a website which uses Federal Election Commission released material, 98% of Womack’s donations have come from corporations, Political Action Committees, or large private donors. Among Womack’s top contributers are Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, and the Koch Brothers Foundation.

Conversely, Ken Aden refuses all corporate donations.