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Rep. Jared Golden’s reconsidered approach on mass murder events may have impacted his reelection. After the Lewiston mass murders, Golden focused on availability of weaponry designed or equipped to kill many people quickly as crucial in quelling mass murder events. Austin Theriault’s focus was on mental illness treatment as crucial in mass murder avoidance.
Logically, Golden would support measures limiting availability of weapons able to kill people quickly as a crucial deterrent. Logically, Theriault would support measures promoting treatment of mental illness as a crucial deterrent. Robert Card, the shooter in Lewiston, was treated by and released from a mental health treatment center the summer before the mass killings. Assessment of weaponry, mental illness and access to both weapons and mental illness treatment are so logical!
Mass murder events involve survivors and witnesses. The Uvalde coroner reported the difficulty of identifying 4th graders who were killed by gunfire. I shudder to think of what that has done to the children who witnessed it. The mental illness treatment factor is so essential here.
Golden has provided an opening for sincere discussion on mass killing events. Combined with Theriault’s stance on mental illness treatment, Golden, Theriault, and/or their spokespersons could begin a real discussion that promotes progress in curtailing mass murder events.
Margo Fraser
Lewiston
