TSA Agent in Orlando -Faith Wangermann

In an article published by the New York Times on February 2, 2019, Jeffery C Mays reports on the apparent suicide of a TSA agent in the Orlando International Airport that occurred on Saturday morning. A man whose name has not been released fell to his death from the balcony of an airport hotel room, causing the terminal to be evacuated and incoming flights to be grounded. The article features quotes from passengers who were shaken from the sound of the impact and a quote from a spokesperson for the TSA. Early information about the incident leads police to believe it was a suicide. After the long government shutdown that led to many federal workers working without pay, employees in airports have been struggling and its not unreasonable to consider the shutdown a contributor to mental health struggles among federal employees. The epidemic of mental illness in our country has been existing for a long time. Reform movements in the Antebellum age fought for improved conditions in mental health institutions for people who were considered insane. Mental health awareness and treatments have come a long way since then, but there is definitely more work to be done.