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Thank you, martinguerre, for accurately describing bipolar disorder... it was frustrating as I read through, seeing people refer to it as mental retardation. Retardation and bipolar disorder are quite different.
Did the air marshall respond in a way appropriate to the situation? Looking back, it seems excessive. However, in the moment, I'm sure that the marshall was under a great deal of pressure, and probably made what seemed like the best decision in the moment.
More than anything, this seems to me to be a tragedy. An innocent man, who had mental issues, was shot and killed due to a misunderstanding. Based on the varying accounts, it is difficult to tell whether or not Alpizar actually said he had a bomb. The air marshall had no way of telling that he was mentally unstable, and made the call. It's unfortunate. Did Alpizar deserve to get shot? No. He was not in his right mind. Unless you suffer from bipolar, or are close to someone who does, it can be extremely difficult to grasp this. The whole thing is tragic.
And I also feel sorry for that air marshall... i know people who have killed "bad" men, and are still haunted by that. So killing someone who turned out to not be a threat must be worse. And regarding the comment that the officer who shot the woman in the leg, then was unable to continue carrying a firearm--she was fully capable of performing her duty. She performed it. If she was incapable, she wouldn't have shot in the first place. And, she also shows that she knows her own capabilities, and recognizes the fact that she would not necessarily be able to make the same decision if faced with a similar situation, so she's not putting herself in that sort of a situation. That doesn't seem like weakness to me, that seems like intelligence.
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I'd rather be climbing...
I approach college much like a recovering alcoholic--one day at a time...
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