A politician who won’t appear at his own party’s convention is a coward, not a man. U.S. Rep. Jared Golden knew when the Maine Democrats met, there would be protestors calling him out for his unwavering support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

So he came up with an excuse and provided a boilerplate video instead. Convention leaders obediently played along. No one was fooled.

Thanks to the many delegates and guests who joined us as we shouted down the video, with cries of “ceasefire now” and “free Palestine.”

We have phoned, written and repeatedly tried to meet with Golden. He will not listen to his constituents unless they give him a free pass to support what the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights aptly calls genocide.

I say to Democrats, we will never get anywhere if we keep voting for the “lesser of two evils.”

Jamila Levasseur, Waldo