John O’neill was a man who bore the weight of criticism better than most could. The combination of O’Neill’s personality and the inner demons that haunt him made him an unsuitable FBI agent. He was a dedicated and persistent worker, yet he continued to feel the internal struggles constantly tugging him away, and eventually, they succeeded.
Following the hiring of John O’Neill, a new period would materialize, the period of the Prince of Darkness. Throughout the entirety of his 31 years of dedicated, hard work, O’Neill had formed an image of irregularity. His colleagues could simply not see what O’Neill saw, a clear image of destruction right in front of his eyes. Day and night he worked, seemingly never taking a break. Seeing the countless hours of effort put into the investigation of terrorism (mainly Al-Qaeda), he earned the nickname “Prince of Darkness” within his department. Although he was seen as a persistent man who had marked his bullseye right on Al-Qaeda, this was also the key reason as to why he was known as an outcast among his colleagues. Why on Earth would a man go through such extraneous effort in investigating a seemingly minor threat? Well to O’Neill, the answer was clear as day, one that would cause indifference.
Simultaneously, O’Neill started feeling the strong emotional attacks from his parental and occupational inner demons. Working day and night, O’Neill never had time to “be a good father.” He was so immersed in his investigation that his relationship to loved ones became fuzzy. In addition, O’Neill was receiving criticism from his FBI colleagues as well as denial of cooperation. His irregularity troubled him and left him without a spot within his department. Another inner demon that haunted was his interpersonal life. O’Neill had been affiliated with three other women while maintaining a proper relationship with another. It was certainly questionable, as his beliefs as a Catholic opposed that idea. Ultimately, O’Neill couldn’t stand the pain of the devils that feasted on his body.
With the constant burden of his relationships and more importantly, his irregularity, O’Neill eventually left the FBI one summer, setting his eyes on a one in New York City. It was perhaps one of the toughest decisions of his life. However, with the amount of criticism and backlash he was receiving, enough was enough. A man who dedicated 31 years to anti-terrorism in FBI couldn’t have left without any second thoughts. His dedication though, was actually the sole thing that drove him away. His next target would be the World Trade Center, where he expected that Al-Qaeda would strike next. It was a brave decision that would lead to an unfortunate loss of a man who contributed greatly to the demolition of Al-Qaeda.
A prince John O’Neill certainly was, who fell into the pit of darkness due to his heroic actions. He dedicated many years of service to the very thing that blackened US history. It is a loss that the world will take to heart for years to come, especially the loved ones and those who were alongside him. Perhaps he could’ve achieved his ultimate purpose if he hadn’t kept his stubborn attitude. Those demons that haunt him are ones that will come back and haunt us again, causing us to leave loved ones behind and similarly with our passions.