Editorial: A Deafening Silence from Massachusetts Leaders as a Young Life Is Lost. @MassGovernor should be ashamed. On July 1st, Eric Tarpinian-Jachym a bright, 21-year-old UMass Amherst senior, summer aide to Congressman Ron Estes, and proud son of Massachusetts was senselessly gunned down in Washington, D.C., in a hail of bullets never meant for him. A promising life extinguished in an act of violence that is all too common in our nation’s capital. Yet what is uncommon and unconscionable is the silence that has followed from Massachusetts’ own elected leaders. No statement. No condolence. No visit. No compassion. Not from @MassGovernor . Not from @SenMarkey or @SenWarren Not from the congressional delegation. Nothing but a void! In a time of unimaginable grief for the Tarpinian-Jachym family, when the very least our leaders should offer is the dignity of acknowledgment, they have chosen instead to look the other way. This silence speaks louder than words, and it says: We do not care. In stark contrast, @realDonaldTrump did what no other prominent official did. Upon learning of Eric’s tragic death, he personally signed a heartfelt letter of condolence, hand-delivered by Massachusetts GOP Chair @CarnevaleMHD to Eric’s grieving parents. A gesture of empathy and leadership, human, and profound. It should not matter that Eric was a Republican congressional intern. He was a son of Massachusetts. He was our neighbor. He was a student of one of our flagship universities. His life, dreams, and death should matter to all of us, regardless of party. But tragically, it appears that, in 2025, @MassDems in Massachusetts have become so hardened by partisanship that they can no longer even summon basic decency for a grieving family. They are quick to hold press conferences over policy disagreements, but when it comes to the human cost of violence, when a young man with ties to their state is murdered, they go mute. This isn’t just neglect. It’s moral failure. Eric’s life mattered. His family’s grief is real. And until our leaders rediscover the courage to speak for all of their constituents, no matter their political affiliation, they will continue to erode public trust and forfeit their moral authority. To the Tarpinian-Jachym family: your pain is not invisible. Your son is not forgotten. And while silence echoes from Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill, others are standing up to say what your leaders should have said first: We are heartbroken for your loss. We are with you. And Eric’s life will be remembered. God bless the Tarpininian-Jachym family. Condolences on your loss. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 ~Jon Fetherston