Michael Todd In The Footsteps Of Princess Diana And Gordon Brown
“IT is the story of Britain’s everyday heroes: the kind of heroes who live next door, and in the next street, and throughout our neighbourhoods - the kind of heroes we might ourselves become.”
Gordon Brown said that in his book Britain’s Everyday Heroes, his follow up to Courage: Eight Portraits, the book in which Brown picked eight people from history that only an aged Nazi stuck in his bunker could not agree deserving of admiration.
Minds turn to this mood of hero worship, the teller reflecting in the heroic glory, as the Mirror looks at Michael Todd, the “dashing Chief Constable” who killed himself on a mountain.
The story is of allegations of three extramarital affairs, his love for his wife and distress.
But above all Mr Todd was a hero. And a hero the Mirror wants to tells us about.
The column headed “A boss you could talk to” follows in the footnotes of Brown’s works, itself a contunatiosn of the emoting that began whwn Diana died.
As with the princess, there is a book of condolences. Messages include:
“You are God’s top cop now,” says one. “An inspiration to any police cadet,” says another, although best not copy everything he did.
Death is portrayed a blessed relief. Reading this you’d wonder why more coppers don’t top themselves. “Whatever your reasons, they can hurt you now more”, says one.
And: “Mr Todd, rest now, your time is done and you toil lifted.”
After the sentimental and the suicidal, come the empathetic.
This from Matthew in the US: “As a former officer in the US, I’d like to express my condolences to the Todd family and the Manchester public. We can rest assured that great officers are taken under the wings of St Michael and will once again patrol the streets of heaven.”
Once a copper, always a copper. And does heaven have mean streets that need policing, with a heaven jail, heaven courts and heavenly fights of stairs and heavy sarcasm?
“A Proper copper – Anyone who volunteers to be a Taser target has got to be rare.” Or medium rare.
A man is dead and instead of a celebration of his life and a look at his work we are encouraged to wallow in sensation, pity and sanctimonious bilge.
The story is all about showing how much you care. How you can spot a true hero…
March 14th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Only the mean-spirited could fail to be saddened by this personal tradgedy made public. Mr Todd appears to have been a very fine police officer but his private life had spun out of control and was affecting his judgement. He died in a very sad and needless way but there was nothing heroic about the way his life ended. Others had to risk their own safety to find him and he leaves behind a trail of devastation for his loved ones.He can’t be hurt any more but many other people can and will as a result. We are all entitled to a private life if it stays private but cheating Chief Constables are always going to sell papers if the truth comes out.
March 14th, 2008 at 4:46 pm
I agree. Sentimental twaddle.
But do people REALLY think he killed himself just because he was having an affair ?
He has had affairs before, as is well known and well documented. He would have survived this one too.
Unless… there is more to be told this time round. The truth may never come out, unless the private detective hs something to tell us.
And if you think I am speaking out of turn. I knew him. And did not like him. And did not trust him. He existed for the greater glory of himself.
March 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Searchers in Snowdonia thought they’d found a valuable painting at the foot of a cliff.
But it turned out it was just another Constable.