Massachusetts State Trooper Shooting Should Wake Us Up [OPINION]

The vacation town of Hyannis on Cape Cod was the site of the attempted murder of a police officer. Thankfully, the state trooper will survive the assassination attempt and, according to the Massachusetts State Police, was released from the hospital on Monday.

Police officers are a symbol and a reality of a stable society.

I don't think the suspect who tried to assassinate 28-year-old Massachusetts State Police Trooper John Lennon was thinking about the murder of President John F. Kennedy when he squeezed the trigger, but just a few hours later would be the anniversary of the assassination of Cape Cod's most famous resident back in 1963 in Dallas, Texas.

The murder of President Kennedy was a reality and a symbol.

Lee Harvey Oswald was infected with the foreign virus of communism. He left the Marine Corps and defected to the Soviet Union. He came home from Communist Russia and took up the cause of supporting communism in Cuba. In his derangement, he decided he should kill the President of the United States.

As I understand it, Trooper Lennon was shot as he approached the vehicle. Like President Kennedy, the trooper never knew the suspect who shot him. Like Oswald, the alleged shooter was attempting to kill a real person who symbolizes the best of America.

We know that Oswald was inspired by revolutionary propaganda and he was a true believer. We may never know what inspired the shooter of Trooper Lennon. When he is apprehended, I would hope his lawyer is good enough to keep him from explaining his deranged motives; after all, this is America. I will be concerned about the defendant's counsel if he mentions reading The Catcher In The Rye.

What can you do about this situation? Call Governor Charlie Baker and your state representative and state senator and tell them you support the police and you will be voting accordingly.

Chris McCarthy is the host of The Chris McCarthy Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon. Contact him at chris.mccarthy@townsquaremedia.com and follow him on Twitter @Chris_topher_Mc. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.