Hating the police does not excuse celebrating Deputy Larry Henderson's death
Like many Cincinnatians, I am upset at the death of Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson. While I am happy that many are honoring the legacy of this fine servant of the people, some make me want to hang my head in shame.On Friday, May 9, I tuned in to watch one of the many livestreams that covered his funeral, as a family member was part of the department's Pipe and Drums Corp., who played at his service. However, upon opening the livestream, I was taken aback by the many hurtful, disgusting, and appalling comments in the livestream's chat.
More: Moreno introduces Larry Henderson Act to toughen penalties for assaults on officers
Phrases such as "One down, many more to go" and "Gang members take care of themselves" were among the many disparaging comments posted while the community was trying to honor a fallen civil servant, who died while trying to protect graduating students and parents alike as they made their way to the University of Cincinnati's commencement ceremony.
I understand that in today's day and age, the police are not looked at with the same reverence and respect that they were 20-plus years ago when they were risking their lives to save people trapped in the collapsing towers of the World Trade Center on 9/11, but the audacity of some indivuduals to cheer and celebrate the death of a police officer is beyond any possible excuse of grief and frustration.
Opinion: When police lose support, we lose morale and good people like Larry Henderson
Even if you dislike the police as a whole, you should not be actively cheering for the death of individual officers who have sworn to protect and serve the citizens of this city at the risk of their well-being and lives. If you take great joy in the death of Henderson, then the problem isn't with the failure of the police system; it's with you.
Dennis Daniel, Norwood
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: No justification for cheering Deputy Henderson's death | Letter
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