Father Thomas Mulcrone made an # of himself at the funeral for fallen Chicago Firefighter Edward Stringer on Tuesday, Dec. 28 by delivering some union-like hectoring of the city from the pulpit during his dead comrade’s eulogy. Mulcrone’s union-centric address was as disgusting a display as I can imagine and at the most inappropriate time imaginable.
Sadly Stringer, a 12-year veteran Chicago Fireman, perished in a fire a few days before Christmas when a roof of an abandoned building collapsed on him and several other firemen. One other fireman, Corey Ankum, was also killed that terrible day.
At the funeral on Tuesday morning, Father Mulcrone, a Catholic Priest attached to the Chicago Fire Department for some 25 years, launched into some finger waving at all those people who claim that Firemen don’t deserve the money they make.
“I would challenge those people this morning to look at Ed’s casket, to look on Corey’s casket on Thursday and I would ask them how much is too much… for this sort of devotion?”
What an inappropriate time to launch into this sort of union hectoring of those people looking to balance the city’s budget!
First of all, few people say that firemen make too much money. What they are saying however, is that the bloated pensions of public employees are breaking the bank and killing every city in America, not just Chicago. Also, no one is saying that just Chicago firefighters should have their lavish retirement benefits cut. People are saying that all public employees are making too much and at too early an age. No one is singling out firemen.
Secondly, does any fireman, policeman or soldier go into their jobs blindly ignorant that they might lose their lives in the course of their duties? I don’t see how they could. Risking life and limb is part of the job for firemen and neither Stringer nor Ankum were unaware of the risks.
In the end this was a disgusting display of union-like hectoring and at a funeral yet. This Father Mulcrone should be ashamed of himself for bringing politics into such a solemn occasion.
Then again, union flacks have no shame, do they?
Warner Todd Huston’s thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as Breitbart.com, among many, many others. He has also written for several history magazines, has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows.
