In 2007, Graham Platner, a Marine from Maine (by his own admission, intoxicated at the time), entered a tattoo parlor in Croatia. He wanted a tattoo. His conscious choice, no matter how intoxicated he may have been, was a skull and crossbones chest tattoo closely resembling a Nazi Totenkopf (“death’s head”).

The candidate would have us believe that, at that time, he had no idea of the significance of the tattoo, and that many years passed before he realized its significance — at which time he covered it up with a Celtic knot design. 

The candidate would have us believe that he didn’t realize the significance of the tattoo at that time, but — at that time — he would have had to have made a specific request for that kind of tattoo. Does this suggest a high degree of intelligence in the candidate?

Let’s sum it up. Either the candidate did not realize the significance of the tattoo at the time or he did. If he did not realize it (for about 18 years), we should draw our own conclusions. 

On the other hand, if he did realize it, Platner expects us (the voters) to be gullible enough to believe him when he says he didn’t. Let’s draw our own conclusions.

Terence McManus
New Sharon