Closure an Insult to Grieving

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Closure: an Insult to Grieving? When dealing with the loss of a loved one we all go through steps in a grieving process. Some steps may take longer than others, and some may not even be taken. Although the pain may always be there, there is nothing we can do with this suffering except to suffer through it. In the article “Idea of Closure an Insult to Grieving” by Jim Coyle, the term “closure” is used even during times of the most awful bereavement the world can inflict. What is closure? Closure is a feeling of finality or resolution, experienced after a traumatic experience (The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language). However, this term creates pressure for mourners to finish grieving and in turn may produce an additional burden to them. Although there is hope to heal and move on, how do we put an ending on the loss of someone we loved so much? The idea of closure may exist in practical matters, such as with business deals and transactions, but I do not believe it applies to the human heart going through the loss of a loved one. The columnist Jim Coyle sees the idea of closure as an insult to those who are grieving because the media continuously uses the cliché term during the most traumatic experiences hoping the affected families will achieve that sense of finality. Coyle believes that all broadcast journalists abusing this language are merely thoughtless and ignorant, in the sense that they are simply lacking knowledge. Just because a guilty man has turned himself in for a murder does not mean that the family will achieve closure in knowing they have found and charged the man responsible for their loss. There is no relief in the knowledge and certainty of the information. There is still pain, there is still loss, there is still love, and definitely no closure. Coyle makes his opinion clear throughout the entire article and even uses quotes from

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