When we think of courage, it usually is in the context of moving toward a difficulty. But can a decision like the one made by Marisol Valles Garcia, the former police chief of a violent Mexican border town seeking asylum in the U.S. be regarded as courageous?

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  It is undisputable that 20 year old Marisol Valles Garcia's decision to take on the job of Police Chief for a Mexican border town where drug-related killings are commonplace was courageous.   But what of her decision to quit and seek asylum in the United States?   

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines courage as "mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty."

Swallowing her pride, accepting her limitations and admitting a mistake had to be among the many difficulties Garcia contemplated when making her decision to abandon the position.   Perhaps it took one kind of courage for Garcia to accept the job, but another to leave it behind.   Do you believe Garcia's departing her position was an act of courage?

Authors Bio:
DEA Special Agent in Charge (retired) June Werdlow Rogers (formerly June W. Stansbury) holds a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology earned at the University of Maryland. She has 28 years of law enforcement experience from 3 different agencies including the Detroit Police Department and Central Michigan University's Department of Public Safety.

Ms. Werdlow Rogers is the Author of Becoming Ethically Marketable: A Guide for Criminal Justice Majors and Recruits (available from staggspublishing.com). She also was a contributing author in the book Police Psychology into the 21st Century (Kurke and Scrivner) writing chapter 11 on Counseling and Diversity Issues (available through amazon. Ms. Werdlow Rogers' newest book CRACKING THE DOUBLE STANDARD CODE: A Guide to Successful Navigation in the Workplace is scheduled for release on June 1, 2010 by Cable Publishing (cablepublishing). Other articles written by Ms. Werdlow Rogers may be accessed at her expert page.

Ms. Werdlow Rogers has been a speaker on numerous occasions among diverse audiences, including national professional conferences, colleges and universities, and at numerous training seminars. She has made public appearances on television and radio, and is heavily quoted in printed media accessible on the internet.

Ms. Werdlow Rogers has received numerous awards. She has held membership in many organizations including the International Association of the Chiefs of Police, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, served on the executive staff for the Interagency Committed of Women in Federal Law Enforcement (ICWIFLE), and was at one time a church trustee. Moreover, Ms. Werdlow Rogers developed a videotape and presentation entitled "Dangerous Liaisons: Drug Dealers and You," designed to inform people about the dangers of involvement with drug dealers, and to provide information about how drug dealers behaviorally operate. She continues to educate community groups in a presentation entitled "Risky Business: How to Avoid Involvement in the Drug Trade," in an effort to reduce drug facilitation. In 2007, her efforts led to the nationally recognized Generations Rx: Children in the Medicine Cabinet, a public awareness effort aimed at reducing pharmaceutical drug abuse through a unique forum. This novel campaign piloted in Brockton, MA offered a drug identification and drop zone, permitting the public, for the first time, to properly dispose of unwanted drugs and learn the identity of any surrendered drug that the participants suspected was being abused by loved ones.