Jared Golden was brave to change his mind on assault weapons after Lewiston shooting

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Craig Poulin is co-chair of Sportsmen for Golden and former president of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine. He is also a former chief of the Maine State Police.

During my time in law enforcement I was trained to follow the facts to reach sound conclusions. As a colonel in the Maine State Police, I reinforced that training with those who served under my command.

I have applied that same structure of evaluation when it comes to elections. In the race for Maine’s 2nd District U.S. House seat, the facts and evidence are clear and lead me to one conclusion: Jared Golden deserves to be re-elected.

Many will remember me as the former chief of the Maine State Police. My former colleagues in law enforcement might remember me as their bargaining agent, and those in and around Maine politics will know me or as a board member and past president of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine.

Today, I write as a private citizen. In my career, I have met with and interviewed numerous candidates for state and federal office. Among them, Jared stands out for both his independent and thoughtful nature, and his quiet leadership on the many topics a member of Congress must face.

He’s also noteworthy because of his forthrightness. These days, we all expect politicians to have a certain way with words — to hedge answers to tough questions in a way that will do themselves the least harm. I have seen candidates parse their words or package their position on any given topic countless times.

In this regard, Jared Golden is different. He’s not afraid to plainly tell Mainers what he believes, even if it might be easier or more politically advantageous not to.

Consider the bravery he displayed in the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston.

Some background: As a life-long Republican and outdoorsman, I always appreciated that Jared — a Democrat — held a strong position in support of the 2nd Amendment. He also opposed unnecessary gun control laws and voted multiple times in opposition to assault weapon ban proposals in Congress.

Then, a killer set his sights on Jared’s community.

We all saw the photos of the gunman entering those public places with an AR-platform rifle shouldered and firing. Eighteen people were gunned down and 13 wounded in a matter of minutes. Jared  saw them too. And it prompted a period of deep reflection, from which he determined he must change course.

He stepped up in front of the world the next day and bravely let his constituents know — including his mourning neighbors in Lewiston — that his position on the assault weapons ban had changed .

In doing so, Jared did something that is almost unheard of: A politician saying that he had changed his mind.

Voters crave leaders who tell the truth, who speak clearly about their judgment on the issues of the day, even at their own political peril. Regardless of whether one agrees with Jared or not on this particular issue, what he demonstrated to me was courage, honesty, and integrity — traits we all say we want in our elected officials.

Jared explained his position in an open letter to his constituents. He also made clear, I believe, that his position on 2nd Amendment rights remained as thoughtful as we have come to expect. For example, he opposed other gun control laws passed by the Maine Legislature in the wake of the killings, saying they would have done nothing to prevent the shootings and would only inconvenience law-abiding gun owners.

If I have learned anything in life it is the fact that you will never find anyone you agree with 100 percent of the time. I also know this: When you see courage, honesty and integrity in a political leader, you should reward it — especially when it is so needed, as it is now in this polarized, hyperpartisan environment.

I am proud to support Jared Golden and to co-chair Sportsmen For Golden . Please join me in voting for Jared Golden for Congress on Nov. 5. We need people like him now more than ever.