Florida Memorial University should be ashamed. For that matter so should the owner of Orlando’s Pulse Nightclub. They have both taken fondly remembering our lost loved ones to a level it should never attain-a morbid celebration of death that is beyond the pale.
Florida Memorial University is awarding Trayvon Martin an honorary degree in Aeronautical Science with a concentration in Flight Education! I always believed honorary degrees were for achievement or at least contribution to society or the mission of the university. In this case, apparently dying at a young age is enough. It’s certainly not for accomplishment. Martin died at the hands of his would-be victim, George Zimmerman. The university, in conjunction with the appearance of Martin’s parents, is running fundraiser. I suppose that could be the contribution part! Taking advantage of this child’s death to raise money for your school should earn you the award for being deaf to propriety.
Having never heard of Florida Memorial until this news story broke, I wonder if their mascot is the Grim Reaper or an Undertaker. I can see those powerful images on uniforms or hanging in a gym! They would be appropriate.
It’s much the same in Orlando as the Pulse Nightclub owner has turned down $2.25M from the City of Orlando (apparently a morbid city) to buy the club property and erect a memorial to the mass, gay death that occurred last summer. The owner’s intent is to create her own memorial with input from the LGBT community and others in the region. Why? This was the worst mass murder in modern American history. It’s not something to be celebrated, memorialized or praised. It is a murder scene, people! It’s also the scene of an act of terror by Omar the Dead Terrorist. I will not honor him by using is actual name.
And that’s the point…memorials are to honor people, people of accomplishment or who have made consideration of their fellow man a priority. I understand people lost family and friends at the Pulse shooting. It’s sad and they deserve to grieve. To be reminded every time they go by the site of what they have lost just doesn’t seem right to me. As for Martin, he was at the location of his death because of problems in school and not being controllable by his mother. He was at dad’s for discipline and maybe some guidance. While there he chose to attack a neighborhood watch volunteer who was suspicious of a new face in the neighborhood where burglaries had been an issue. He died for his poor decision making and being a violent person willing to beat down another human being. His parents should be appalled that the university is using their son's death to raise money.
What have we fallen to in this society? Honor the dead. Grieve them. But don’t’ take advantage of them like this…it’s kind of sick!