American ingenuity has developed devices that measure dangers in our environment: Geiger counters, radiation dosimeter badges, pulse oximetry – to name a few. Yet we have not yet devised an instrument to measure the mental and psychological stress that leads to suicide. Instead, those in challenging professions produce their own tough-guy shields, which begins with comic book superheroes defying all odds. How old do we start telling little boys not to cry? Our TV shows are worse. Real-life heroes shouldn’t have to “throw back a few” before they return home.

Why was tracking Maine first responders’ suicide rates only started in 2020? (“Bill would allow some first responder suicides to be classified as deaths in the line of duty,” March 29.) Not knowing the truth will not bring solutions. The pain of the truth to the family, while beyond terrible, isn’t as bad as a whitewash. As the aunt of a 30-year-old who took her own life, I know the loss is forever. Giving $100,000 to the grieving family is only a gesture – a poor one at that. The lie cheapens everyone. Please give the money, but don’t think we, as a community, are off the hook.

At least keep track of our failures. Keep track of one person’s exposure to severe trauma per year in a log. Require guided group discussions to offset the “superhero” fatigue after every psychological assault. Or perhaps, like radiation, it is accrued punts to the psyche that kill. Perhaps shorten the years of service or allow a punitive-free early retirement.

But please don’t lie to cover our failures of imagination.

Susan Pickford
Portland

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