A political ad on television showing Rep. Jared Golden discharging a rifle stunned me. The symbolism of deadly force in a political campaign is horrifying. In one breath, the candidate is marching valiantly off to war, the next discharging a weapon in the direction of a public policy, embraced by a serving U.S. Congressman. Keep in mind, last year, an enraged Democrat used a rifle to shoot Congressman Steve Scalise while Scalise was playing baseball.
Rep. Golden’s political commercial will cause consternation among Marine Corps alumni and prior service members about what Golden is attempting to communicate through deadly force. Shooting paper is one thing, but considering the horror Rep. Scalise’s family has endured, I can’t see any value in supporting such a lack of critical decision-making, demonstrated by that commercial.
Dan Fitzsimons, Turner
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