Please Don’t Give Cops Military Medals
MINOT, N.D. — “Grand Forks Police Officer Cody Holte and Cpl. Patrick Torok, who were involved in the shootout in which Holte was killed last May, each made GFPD history when they became the first recipients of the Purple Heart and Medals of Honor in the history of the department,” reporter Hannah Shirley wrote this week.
I’m going to be critical of those medals, but before I am, I want to make it clear that my criticism has nothing to do with Holte or Torok or their courageous service. They were honored this week at a ceremony hosted by the Grand Forks Police Department, and deservedly so.
The problem is not with them. The problem is with the names of these medals.
A Purple Heart?
A Medal of Honor?