Dear Editor,

I admire and respect the RCMP and think it a great shame if a member is killed in line of duty. I refer to the large parade and funeral held in Langley, during which hundreds of uniformed-clad mourners attended the funeral of one of their own. If it had been a Canadian soldier killed in the line of duty, would the same courtesy and respect be warranted? Would members of his regiment parade in dress uniform behind a military band?

I suspect that it boils down to the fact that it is a rarity for a member of the RCMP to be killed on duty (the exception was the tragic loss of four members ambushed in Alberta a few years back) and that casualties are far more frequent in the Canadian Forces.

I am pleased to see the RCMP get some favourable publicity, for a change.

Mike Harvey, Langley