In the aftermath of the mass shooting in Lewiston last week, Maine Representative Jared Golden publicly acknowledged his previous rejection of federal bans on assault weapons was a failure. His Democratic colleague, Massachusetts Representative Lori Trahan took to social media to declare his statement an example of “Courage in the face of unimaginable tragedy. Selfless service when his hometown needs it most.”
Was it really?Joining Trahan in the praise of Golden was Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the representative from Florida’s 10th District. Frost said “It takes a lot of courage to go on national television and admit that you were wrong about something.” Let’s note also that Trahan is a friend of Golden’s and it’s natural to want to lift up someone facing a terrible tragedy who has also publicly declared himself to have failed his state. That cannot be easy, as Frost noted. It deserves a pat on the back. He should be thanked.
But is Golden an example of a profile in courage?
It is surely important to praise a politician who openly declares they were wrong and shifts their position on vital matters of public policy. Golden has repudiated his previous position and done the right thing. And yet, it took a lot of innocent dead Americans to bring him to this point. Golden said he opposed banning assault weapons in the past due to “a false confidence that our community was above this, and that we could be in full control, among many other misjudgments.” Uvalde, apparently, wasn’t above it nor in full control. Neither was Sandy Hook.
Is this courage? Is it selfless service?
Political courage is not about repudiating a formerly held, intense view on public policy. Changing your mind doesn’t strike most Americans as courageous, even if done on national television.
One reason we celebrate political courage is because it remains very rare, 67 years after John F. Kennedy wrote Profiles in Courage. It’s about putting your career in jeopardy for a decision made, whether on an issue old or new. It’s about casting a vote out of conscience when it goes against the political grain of your party or your constituents. It’s not about admitting you were wrong, it’s about throwing yourself to the vicissitudes of public opinion, about choosing to take an unpopular opinion when it may well end your career. Taking on your powerful leaders and your own party to put your country first is courageous. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger come to mind as recent examples.
Will his change of heart result in the end of his political career? It’s possible. Maine’s 2nd district is large, rural, and friendly to foes of gun control. But Golden is not likely to become a zealot for the most restrictive gun laws possible. He’s taking a narrow position: banning assault rifles like the one used by the killer in Lewiston. This new position for Golden may gain him some traction given the gravity of the situation. Still, it’s a Trump district and Golden may, a year from now, discover this change has earned him little political capital.
So he may yet be an example of a politician taking a position that will harm him politically. We’ll know in November 2024.
Is it selfless service? No, it isn’t.
The Manager of Schemengees Bar whose life ended trying to confront the Lewiston killer acted selflessly. The first responders putting in long hours this week under duress are examples of service.
Jared Golden would have exhibited courage years ago if he took on the gun lobby and advocated for reasonable public policies in response to our epidemic of gun violence. What he did last week was succumb to reality, and we should positively note this. If Democrats reclaim a slim majority next year, his vote will be critical to advancing an assault weapons ban. All of this is for the good.
At the same time, we should forgo the hyperbole of his change of mind. Lewiston is the 36th mass shooting this year. The scourge of our self-induced gun violence epidemic has raged for years as politicians in DC and in many states continue to fail us by allowing it to continue. That was Jared Golden up until last week. It’s a choice they and he have made, one that he could only come around to repudiate after the carnage showed up in his city.