Why The Troy Groundhog Killers Should Not Be Fired

There is a story circulating that a witness saw two men in a golf cart run down and then run over a groundhog at the Rensselaer Police Department Union's golf tournament in Frear Park this past Friday. While it has not been confirmed that these two men were actually police officers, there have already been many voices crying for them to be fired if they are indeed identified as such. Yes, fired.

Let me first be very clear that I too am troubled that grown men would purposely run down a defenseless animal without cause. the behavior does make one question their level of compassion if not common sense. I think that these two men , whomever they are and whatever occupation they occupy should be penalized for what they have done. I even think that they would deserve to some extent the public humiliation that they would feel if their identities were revealed.

I do NOT however think they should be fired. Really people? Is this really where we want to go as a society?

Let me also be clear about this point; this to me isn't a police issue, this same mentality has reared it's ugly head too many times in the past with celebrities, teachers, politicians and others. Someone has an embarrassing picture from their past surface or they make a comment that they immediately regret or is taken out of context or they do something just plain stupid and people want them fired from their jobs. If we really are going to apply this rule to everyone, none of us would be working. Are you who sit in judgement really without sin? Have you nothing in your past that you regret? Please.

Look I get it, it was stupid, it may have even been in violation of a hunting regulation but it is just not a reason to terminate employment. A person's job is their livelihood, it is their life's work and these people also support families and loved ones with that livelihood. We are guaranteed life liberty and the pursuit of happiness in this country we have a right to free speech and yes as humans we even have a right to make mistakes without unreasonable prosecution.

These men whomever they are should face a fine, do community service, or even be forced to do a little counseling or anger management. I can go that far with you, but then  they should be allowed to get on with their lives AND their livelihoods.

We should get back to worrying about ours.

The good Lord knows I have plenty of repair work to do on my glass house.