White House Compassion Needed

Today's New York Times has a sad news article about the family of an American soldier who died by suicide in Iraq in June of this year. He is one of 133 Army suicides which have taken place through October of this year and may well surpass last year's total of 140. So far this year there have been 42 Marine deaths also by suicide. The article points out that most-self inflicted deaths take place on military posts in the US, but since 2001 there have been 184 suicides by the American military in Iraq.

Suicide is always a tragedy which causes deep pain, confusion, inner conflict and guilt for the survivors. The addded tragedy reported in this article is the fact that though this family received death benefits due at the death of their son, and a folded flag as well as his eligibilty to be buried in a military cemetary, they did not receive a letter from President Obama expressing his sympathy on the loss of their soldier son. When they called the White House to inquire about a letter from the President they were told by a protocol officer that at least since the time of the Clinton Administration presidents have not witten to the families when the death was a suicide. The implication of this policy may very well be based on the notion that suicide is not an honorable way for a soldier to die and therefore the President doesn't offer the his or the nation's sympathy for this kind of death.

My belief is that this is at the very least a callous and unfeeling slap at a family who are grieving the loss of another victim of tragic death. Certainly suicide is the result of intense mental suffering and turmoil, and for whatever internal psychological conflicts cause it, families are left to deal with the loss of a loved one. Why wouldn't a President as Commander in Chief offer his condolences as he does for all other active duty military deaths, whether by military action, accident, 'friendly fire,' or sickness? Why should judgment be inflicted on the families of suicides? Certainly no other judgments are made about the cause of service member deaths - has no soldier ever died because of careless or reckless behavior, intoxication, or other unknown circumstance? Those questions are never raised apparently.

We make much of the fact that we have a volunteer military. These people have chosen to go into the service and have been willing to be sent into combat, to place themselves in harm's way if ordered.

We have no way to know why this young soldier killed himself and his parents are left to deal with their own grief. Though they received all of the other benefits accorded families, the flag, taps at his buriel and apparently the usual financial assistance given families, but they wondered why not the comfort of a presidential letter of condolence.

I think presidents have a duty to represent the people of this country in continuing the tradition of writing to all families who lose a loved one in the service, whether or not a given person is a victim of the hoplessness and depression which has led them to kill themselves. Why further punish their survivors?