“Democrats are in love with terrorists. They mourn Soleimani more than they mourn our Gold Star families.” These disgusting words came from Georgia congressman Doug Collins of Gainesville.

Georgia’s voting population is 4 million, and roughly half are Democrats, many of whom have served or continue to serve in our military fighting terrorism. Democrats have lost sons and daughters in this fight. No one political party has the sole possession of patriotism. 

No American is “in love” with terrorists or “mourns” the death of that Iranian general. Many of us do, however, mourn the death of decency, honesty and reason. Collins’ slur of countless good Georgians hits a new bottom. We can differ about the legality or efficacy of killing Soleimani, but that doesn’t make people unpatriotic or lovers of terrorists. It is hostility to differences of opinion that is un-American. It’s McCarthyism, the practice of making unfair allegations in order to restrict dissent or political criticism.

When those that whose job it is to keep us safe from terrorism do so, it is not done as Republicans or Democrats. They do so as Americans.

Collins is a pastor, an attorney and a congressman; therefore, he should know better. To utter such garbage, which he knows to be false and defamatory, goes against all the training and teaching he must have received. But he got his cheap shot across to please his master, and perhaps that’s all that matters to him. Collins has apologized via Twitter, but passed on an opportunity to apologize, twice, on Fox News. If he is truly sorry, why didn’t he say so?

I’m not hopeful for a return to civility in our politics. I just want people like him to knock off the worst scurrilous nonsense. I’d hope that would be possible for a politician wanting to represent all of Georgia in the Senate. If we are going to come together, protect the homeland and heal the hearts of people who have suffered the scars of terrorism, we need our leaders to do better than lazy trash talk.