The last few days have been interesting. Israel and Iran are at war, and there was a parade to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our army in Washington, D.C., while protests took place all across the country against our president.

And, tragically, in the early morning hours of Father’s Day, two people were killed and another two were injured in politically charged assassinations in Minnesota.

But even as family members grieved or waited anxiously at hospitals to see if their loved ones would survive being riddled with bullets, our own senior senator, Mike Lee, stepped in it. And he stepped in it deep. Lee truly embarrassed our country, our state and, most importantly to many, their faith.

It is sad that after every mass shooting or political assassination (or attempt) too many go right to the blame game while many metaphorically hold their breath to see what “team” these perpetrators are on.

Everyone has an opinion on social media and Lee decided to share his. Many of his constituents, and I imagine even some who voted for him, wish he hadn’t.

Most reading this will know what he posted. So if you agree with Lee and are in some Conspiracy Theory Land, it is asked that if the shooter was a “Marxist,” as Lee claimed in his X post, does it make the shooting less tragic? Who does this designation bring comfort to exactly? Shouldn’t our initial thoughts go out first to victims and their families rather than making what turned out to be an absurd claim about what political team the shooter is from?

But Lee wasn’t done; he had to go after the governor of Minnesota next, suggesting that Tim Walz was somehow responsible for this. The people shot were his close friends, but I guess since he’s a Democrat, our Republican senator felt he had to pour salt into the wounds and make it some personal vendetta. What made his post even more insipid is that he couldn’t even spell the governor’s name correctly.

During the second “Red Scare” of the 1950s when Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy leveled claims of Communists overrunning our government, including the armed forces, Joseph Welch, legal counsel for the Army, made history when he asked McCarthy, “Have you no decency, sir?” Well, it is asked here. Sen. Lee, have you no decency, sir?

On the MSNBC program “The Last Word,” political pundit Lawrence O’Donnell suggested that since Lee reportedly makes 100 tweets a day, along with the cruelty of these particular tweets, that perhaps our senior senator might even have some mental illness issues.

And on the political front, if Lee’s intentions were to fire up the MAGA base by playing the blame game, it is suggested here that those efforts backfired. Many Republicans have distanced themselves, though public condemnations from Lee’s cohorts, particularly inside the Beehive State, have been sadly lacking.

Lee received a personal visit from Minnesota junior Sen. Tina Smith and was called out last Wednesday by Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, and others, on the Senate floor. Lee was seen leaving the Capitol refusing to answer questions while his aide used a clipboard to block Lee from cameras.

Beyond that, millions of viewers of “The Daily Show” got to see comedian and political satirist Jon Stewart rake Lee over the coals. Stewart also reminded everyone of his own personal meeting with Lee about the continuing funding to help first responders of the 9/11 tragedy, which Lee voted against. Why this is brought up here is to give some context perhaps to the moral center that Lee actually possesses, which in turn might explain his vile posts regarding this senseless tragedy.

The reality of the situation is Lee has four-plus more years to serve, so for better or worse, Utahns are stuck with him. And a broader question has to be asked, can the GOP in the Beehive State find a candidate perhaps a bit less extreme to run against him? And can the voters of Utah exhibit better powers of discernment if Lee does decide to run for reelection?

As for me, it has been hard to see our state embarrassed. But it has been even harder to see one’s personal faith ridiculed in YouTube comments and other social media platforms.

For Lee, there are paths for some salvation in this realm that, at the minimum, require a public apology for his posts and a private apology to the victims’ family members. But the lowest-hanging fruit is the hope that he at least doesn’t double down on his own stupidity.

Brian E. Preece is a retired social studies educator and coach who currently lives in Mapleton. As a wrestling coach, he was named as the 2006 Utah Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He has also co-authored three books and has been a sports journalist for parts of five decades.