Franklin the turtle is a Canadian creation beloved by generations of children, so when U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth turned him into a bazooka-wielding soldier in a social media post Sunday, many people were alarmed.
Hegseth’s post featured a mock cover of a Franklin children’s book titled “Franklin Targets Narco Terrorists.” The image shows a smiling Franklin wearing a military helmet and vest and an American flag on his arm. He’s standing in a helicopter, firing a weapon toward a boat carrying packages and a man holding a gun.
“For your Christmas wish list,” he wrote above the post, an apparent attempt to make light of deadly U.S. military strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean.
Every new low in casual cruelty sets back the date when America will be trusted on the world stage a decade further out. I’m confident I’ll be dead before an American leader would be held in the same regard as other leaders on the world stage.
My kid is growing up in this reality and distrust will be their generation’s default sentiment.