While I certainly agree that the death of a Mountie, shot and killed on duty should certainly trigger a funeral of note, however the pomp and ceremony that attended the funeral of RCMP Cpl John Davidson in Abbotsford, to me, was completely over-the-top.
It seems that the funeral for every Mountie, and other police officer, killed on duty gets bigger and more extreme; it’s as though there is a contest going on. Which force can put on a bigger and better show? If it is public money being spent then why shouldn’t Armed Forces members killed on duty rate a similar send-off? Members of these forces, know when they sign-up that they might be killed on duty, so why a different ceremony for one force member and not the other? Is it taxpayer money being spent to stage these events? Would it not be better if some of this ill-spent money went to widows and children of all deceased Force members? With all the officers who attended the funeral being away from their primary job, were some communities left without adequate police protection? Will the next police officer killed on duty rate a ceremony similar to Davidson’s, or to go one better, maybe a state funeral or a national day of mourning? When will common-sense prevail? And, if that is to happen, who will now have the guts to step-up and put a stop to it?
I am sure that if Cpl. Davidson could speak from the grave, he would say that he is much embarrassed about what his death has wrought; that he would rather have had a quiet ceremony, and that widows and children of all deceased force members should be the beneficiaries of some of that loose money being spent so inappropriately.
Donald F. Deeprose
Penticton