I wish to respond to the Nov. 28 op-ed by Jeffrey Evangelos of Friendship (“Graham Platner has a Blackwater problem”). My first response to Evangelos is: Has he seen Graham Platner at a town hall? If not, he should attend one. Platner fills auditoriums. He creates a buzz. He speaks of issues that are near and dear to Mainers. Health care, housing, soaring food prices. Bread and butter issues that have real-world impact on Mainers.

Is Platner’s resume flawed? Yes. Who, at some point in their lives, hasn’t done things they aren’t proud of? Platner was a career soldier. He fought for his country. He fought for freedoms that we, as Americans, cherish. He’s seen some bad stuff. He’s done some bad stuff. But to write him off as having ties to criminality; or, bored in an army camp in Iraq, gets himself a tattoo or two, and then is excoriated for being tough and cavalier. So? He gets bored. Clearly this is a guy who needs to be doing stuff.

At this moment in time, with a convicted felon, grifter, and venal man in charge of our country, is Graham Platner not the man for the hour?

Patrick Kelly
South Portland