The recent revelation that a Norwalk, Connecticut, police officer was killed in the line of duty saddened the law enforcement community. However, the truth about the death of the police officer revealed that he committed suicide. The officer was apparently distraught about his recent divorce and that his ex-wife moved back to Australia with his daughter. The Mayor of the town stated that the police officer, who was a military veteran, would receive full police and military honors. The law enforcement profession and the military are two stressful occupations that increases the possibility that someone will get killed in the line of duty. If so, all the honors should be bestowed upon that person. However, can the same be afforded to someone who made a conscious decision to take their own life, due to a very stressful situation? Can committing suicide make you a honorable person?
" Mental vitality can lead to longevity, so think positively." Dr. BLR
This blog was created solely for my students to generate intellectual dialogue with their classmates. Reach one and teach one. Peace.
29 comments:
Until recently I thought of suicide as a very selfish and cowardly act because that is what I have always been taught. And I have never thought to entertain any other opinion in this matter until now when being asked to decide who should be honored.
Although I may not understand why someone would commit such an act I do however believe that we are all built differently and while one person may handle stressful situations with ease this may not be so for the next person. The same problem does not equal the same tolerance. While some may possess an ability to swallow certain pain and keep moving others may find it excruciating and unbearable. I feel sadness for the person who could not find a way out.
Honor from whom? Your family and friends that love you? Why not? Everyone else is irrelevant. There may be some pain, resentment, and feelings of animosity amongst loved ones but the bottom line is that we are only human. Of course there are those that might say they would never kill themselves. But I say never say never as there is a chance that you have not yet met the pain that would lead you to such an end.
I do not think committing suicide can make you an honorable person in any case but I certainly do not believe that any honor you gained or built throughout your life should come into question.(9510)
I'm stuck in the middle on this one. Yes it's true that he put his time in to serve his county in the military and that he helped back home in the law enforcement field. Maybe it was a combination of past experiences, current work and his recent divorce that made him do this, but to get get full honors and benefits out of this situation I do not like. I belive that no matter how bad it gets, you have to make the best out of that situation and hope that tomorrow will be a better day. It is what you make it. 2530
I do not think suicide is honorable, but I do think the police officer deserve the honors for his life before the suicide.
8879
I feel what the person said above me. I dont suicide is an honorable thing. But people are entitled to make a mistake. He was an officer and in the army so yes he deserve the honors.
ecc 3950
he deserves the honor, because it was a mistake but you also have to keep in mind all the stress he probably had to deal at work and then loosing his family just broke him down, giving him no reason to live.\
ms0777
Suicide is an act that I cannot comprehend. In my opinion, it is selfish. You leave behind, those that love you. I cannot honestly answer if suicide makes you honorable. However, having served in the military and as a police officer, I think he should get whatever he would be entitled to. Just because one commits suicide does not diminish the accomplishments made while he was alive. Too often, the negative is weighed more heavily than the positive. *2232
Honestly I dont think thats a Honorable act.Until recently I thought of suicide as a very selfish and cowardly act. I dont think he should not receive any honrable or recognize symbol or anyhting for what he did. Maybe help for his family because they not responsible for his acts. 5794
yes, if you are from another country, here we always went by the golden rule "you can not receive credit from god if you kill yourself". it goes back to receiving help from positive sources in your life. if that help comes from professionals good because everyone needs to talk out their frustrations than act them out.(7593)
I mean he should get honored on the fact that he was in the military but i guess they feel like he should be honored because it was really a sad situation and i guess to brighten it up they decided to do something nice for him. Committing suicide, in my opinion, does not make you a honorable person. If anything it makes you an unstable, weak minded individual due to whatever circumstances. Its really sad when someone committs suicide because all this help out here and all these people that do committ suicide,its a shame that they cant get help.7739CA
Commiting suicide is not honourable at all. i always thought that when people work stressful jobs where you see bad things all the time it makes you a stronger person but i guess am wrong.the people who seem very strong are sometimes the weakest people and they just try to put a strong face so that people can not see their weakneses. i think that some even join or do careers that will somehow erase any suspicions of them being weak. The same suicide incident happend to a wrestling star who killed himself and the family and everyone was shocked because he was such a strong happy person. The policeman however should be hounoured. people should not let the one last bad thing that he did strip him off all the good work he did protecting people as a policeman.it was therefore right that he was honoured.
2481
I do not feel that suicide is honorablel but I can understand that he served his country and law enforcement and do not see any problem with him receiving the benefits.
While this is way to deep a question for me to answer. I do believe that it is only right to give him those honors after his death just to be respectful to his family. If they did not give him his honors, it would only be hurtful to his love ones who are still alive and that would be unnecessary. SPC3027
Should someone be honored for taking their own life? in my opinion absolutely nott!! But due to the circumstances, maybe him taking his own life can be "justified" in some way, but it doesnt make it noble. Anyone who takes their own life is mentally unstable, i dont think its an easy thing to decide and actually carry out. But maybe he felt like if he stayed on the job he would go off and hurt someone else, a "ticking time bomb" perhaps??
SPC7202
I believe the officer should be honored for his past accomplishments. Suicide is a very touchy topic it is hard for individuals who have never contemplated suicide or attempted it to understand what the officer was going through. SPC 5936
I believe the officer should be honored for his past accomplishments. However suicide is a touchy topic and it is difficult for someone who hasn't contemplated or attempted it to understand were he was coming from so we should not past judgment on the officer. SPC 5936
I have to say that I do not think committing suicide can make you an honorable person. SPC 6169
Why is it that the negative aspects in this situation are weighed far more heavily than any good this man may have done? This is not Joe Blow that were talking about. Why should any and all accomplishments made during his life as a police officer and military veteran be negated because of the circumstances surrounding his death? It is my personal opinion that he should receive full police and military honors not because of how he died but because of how he lived.
K.G. 3792
As far as I know, both in the military and paramilitary organization, such as Police Department and Fire Department, only full honor funeral are given upon death in line of duty. But I also agree with K G that these heroes should be given full honors not because of how they died but because of how they lived.
ES 1810
As far as I know, both in the military and paramilitary organization, such as Police Department and Fire Department, only full honor funeral are given upon death in line of duty. But I also agree with K G that these heroes should be given full honors not because of how they died but because of how they lived.
ES 1810
I don't believe that was an honorable decision. I personally would not honor someone who is not strong enough to deal with the tribulations of life. I mean ish happens imagine if everyone who was going through a hard time shot their brains out. Most of us wouldn't be here. He acted in a weak manner and should've never taken his own life. But should we simply forget he did serve our country and then the state he was an officer in? Should all his work and efforts to keep us safe not be honored? I don't believe that is fair so I am glad he received an honorable discharge not because he killed himself but because he served his country right while he was alive...
S.S. 8161
The police officer does deserve honors for his service but he did not die while doing his job. He took his own life because he couldn't handle it and I don't think his personal actions have to do with his profession. They are mixing the two and I don't think that's a good way to honor his death.
SG 4591
Suicide is not the best way to solve problems .However , back then,true heroes never accept defeats ,they killed themselves in the line of duty .For example , "the song of Roland" can be a case in point.All in all ,he is an honorable person .Otherwise , he is a hero .
On the other hand , i do not encourage any law enforcement officer to take that route .
LJ 6631
Darnell This should be a warning for those who want a career in law enforcement.Police officers deal with so much stress and pressure, both at work and in their personal lives. But, I feel as though there are other alternatives a person can resort to as opposed to committing suicide. Do he deserve honors, in sense no beacause he did not die in the line of duty. On the contrary, he should be given honors for his efforts to put a cease to the increasing violence in the world.
i think he should be honor for what he had achieved in his passed,i do believe almost every one in their life think some time about committing suicide when in some type of situation , that is human but, that police officer did not die in the line of duty however i do not think he should be honor for putting a end to his own life.he does not mean ether he should be forgetting also. JS7920
Suicide should not be the answer to anything. It is not an honorable death, but it is a highly disturbing one. Of course honor is due where honor is deserved, yet, when a person decides to end his or her own life without the options of seeking help from a professional just infers that this person decided to quit. So I do not think that suicide can make you an honorable person. DA6353
I do believe the a weak/un-nurtured psyche is more vulnerable to extreme acts such as suicide. It is difficult to formulate an opinion of what pushed someone, who had lived through so much, over the edge.
I do believe that there are instances where suicide is understandable and maybe even honorable, but not in this case. His was an act of selfishness. What makes his issues so tough that he doesn't have to deal with them while I have to deal with mine. It is selfish to take yourself away from those who love you, and cause them to suffer.
Maybe sentiment towards the issue may be due to lack of understanding, but I don't believe this person deserves the same honors as someone who fought through the hard times. Its not easy to say this about someone whose life choices to serve his country, in the military and on the police force, I respect a great deal. Perhaps the greatest action one takes, I his last.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Iguess we can all agree that committing suiced is not honorable. but in this case when an idividual voluntiers for the military or a law enforcemen job you are giving averthing including your life to defend our society it means that fealings and imotion that a civilian has would have to give it up. so yes i say he deserves been honor couse he gave his way of living and fealing as a civilian.
JE#7974
I agree he deserves to be honored and we dont know what he went through or experienced being an officer.
SB #8642
I believe all officers should be honored if they were doing their job on a constant basis. Its true that we do not know what was going on in his marriage and everyone does deal with things differently. No one knows what they would do in any situation until they are faced with one. So honor what he stood for in society. Leave the dishonored to those who knew him. It is just merely their opinions..RSI-3774
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