I saw on the news yesterday that there has been a bit of controversy over who receives Presidential condolence letters for family members killed in combat. Military members who commit suicide or those who are killed in stateside training exercises do not receive condolence letters signed by the President.
I can actually understand this policy, to be honest. Think of all the people in the military: there are currently over 1 million people on active duty, with another million plus on reserve duty. If the President is required to start personally signing letters for every person killed in the military, he wouldn't have time to do anything else. Even if you start with suicides and those killed in stateside training, the policy would get expanded.
Yes, suicides are up. Yes, I'm sorry that people lose their family members to suicide. But the young man in question did receive a full military burial, 21 gun salute, and the playing of "Taps." It is NOT as if the military and the President treated his death as a shameful thing and refused to offer any support to the family.
What is your opinion?
Should every military death require a personally signed letter of condolence from the President?
If the military honors them in other ways, does the lack of letter insult the military member's sacrifice?
Sources:
FoxNews.com. (2011, May 25). Senators Call on President to Change Condolence Letter Policy for Military Suicide Victims. Link.
Quijano, Elaine. (2011, June 28). Honor Denied Some Families of Fallen Troops. Link.
I can actually understand this policy, to be honest. Think of all the people in the military: there are currently over 1 million people on active duty, with another million plus on reserve duty. If the President is required to start personally signing letters for every person killed in the military, he wouldn't have time to do anything else. Even if you start with suicides and those killed in stateside training, the policy would get expanded.
Yes, suicides are up. Yes, I'm sorry that people lose their family members to suicide. But the young man in question did receive a full military burial, 21 gun salute, and the playing of "Taps." It is NOT as if the military and the President treated his death as a shameful thing and refused to offer any support to the family.
What is your opinion?
Should every military death require a personally signed letter of condolence from the President?
If the military honors them in other ways, does the lack of letter insult the military member's sacrifice?
Sources:
FoxNews.com. (2011, May 25). Senators Call on President to Change Condolence Letter Policy for Military Suicide Victims. Link.
Quijano, Elaine. (2011, June 28). Honor Denied Some Families of Fallen Troops. Link.
