The death of a child is painful. But what does that have to do with McDonalds?

The recent crash of a helicopter in Afghanistan killed 36 year-old Navy SEAL Kevin Houston. In an interview with her local paper, his mother Jan Brown said:

If he could do it all over again and have a choice to have it happen the way it did or work at McDonald's and live to be 104? He'd do it all over again.

Leaving aside that not many folks at McDonald's live to be 104, the idea that whenever we want to slam a job we pick McDonald's is common cheap shot.

According to press reports, Houston had a childhood dream of becoming a Navy SEAL. He followed that passion, to his credit.

Why does that give anyone the right to drag McDonald's employees down? It is a quotable soundbite, as evidenced by the more than 400 news outlets that repeated the quote.

But it is also an odd and snarky reaction to losing one's son.