Tom Cotton did what?

Shocked and in disbelief, I keep repeating that very question, hoping that our beloved Arkansas senator really isn’t playing such a dangerous political game. Sadly, it’s true.

As our executive branch of government attempts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons through extremely fragile negotiations, Tom Cotton threatens to undermine the entire process by sending a combative open letter to Iran. The act alone is despicable, considering that Tom Cotton has in no way participated in these negotiations and is in no way privy to the deal’s potential provisions.

The letter’s purpose is to inflame an already tense situation and inject the ongoing Democrat/Republican confrontations into an issue on which all Americans can agree: Iran shouldn’t obtain or create nuclear weapons.

With that said, I’ve created a list of senatorial reminders for Mr. Cotton: 1. You were elected to represent Arkansans’ interests on the national stage. 2. You were not elected to be a self-appointed secondary secretary of state. 3. You should not condemn negotiations until the details of such negotiations are revealed and you deem them inadequate. 4. You should not send brazen warning letters to volatile countries, especially when that country might consider dismantling its nuclear program. 5. You should attempt to proceed with caution, always considering the worldwide consequences of your actions. 6. You should not risk American lives for the sole purpose of making a political statement or promoting your own political career.

I know you’re just an adolescent senator and mistakes are inevitable, but calm down before you do something that we’ll all regret. JUSTIN JONES

Bigelow