I was shocked last week when the White House released a photo of the president skeet shooting. In an article in the New Republic, he said he engages in this activity "all the time."
If there is a constructive purpose to releasing the photo, it is a mystery to me. Is he trying to show that he is a regular guy, and the responsible usage of firearms somehow validates this idea? By giving us a snapshot of this activity, is he attempting to prove he has a greater understanding of guns and the issue of gun control? Does he think this will help in changing the mind of any member of Congress?
Any reasonable answers to these questions (or any others that come to mind) strike me as simplistic and/or patronizing.
If I were someone who has been directly affected by gun violence in this country, I would find the publishing of the photo offensive, especially during this time of heated debate about gun control legislation.
I hope this picture was somehow released to the press without his direct approval because I prefer to think he would have shown better judgment. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the words that come to mind do not provide any comfort or respect for an idea that sheds any light.
JERRY LUPU
Albany