THIN BLUE LINE
While I was sitting in church Sunday listening to our Pastor he said we as a church should pray for those killed and injured as well as law enforcement and first responders who were involved in the Boston bombing.
One thing I found interesting was the fact that he said most people ran for safety however there were those who ran towards the explosions, which included many civilians
That statement struck a chord with me as having been in law enforcement for twenty-seven years. Those in that chosen field are a breed much different than the average citizen. They are much maligned in their careers until something similar to Boston occurs, yet they accomplish their assigned tasks quietly on a daily basis.
Last year I was stopped by a Native American Story Teller in Sarasota who had seen my Sheriff’s Star and Vietnam Veteran’s patch on my bike vest and he said this to me. “You have the heart of a warrior.” For whatever reason that stuck with me and I have mentioned it several times since speaking with him.
Do I believe what he said is true? For the most part I do, not because it involves me personally but it pretty much sums up those who stand to protect us as a Nation and The Constitution.
Those who choose to begin a career in Law Enforcement do so knowing what the down side is prior to doing so. Long hours, low wages, a high divorce rate, missing children’s birthdays and the possibility of injury or death.
This is inclusive of not only the law enforcement field but also EMS and Fire Department personnel. They all have a different mindset than most people. Sure, I know there will always be a few ‘gun slingers’ slip through the background checks that make those fields look bad. However those folks are few and far between.
Boston was a learning experience for the average citizen insomuch as those who responded from the various law enforcement agencies, be they city, state or federal agencies showed what they can and will do to bring an end a very bad situation.
Believe me when I tell you from personal experience it takes a lot of mental training and belief not to just end the problem with a single shot. I experienced that during the tracking and arrest of a subject who murdered a Florida State Trooper who was a friend of mine. I had a shot at one point but didn’t take it for several reasons, one being it was not the way I was trained.
Sadly the piece of human waste is still sitting on his worthless butt awaiting his court ordered demise.
Out of the ashes the City of Boston and the surrounding area will rise again like the preverbal Phoenix.
The Thin Blue Line is a law enforcement symbol which is a blue strip between two larger blocks of black symbolizes the police’s role of separating the “good” from the “bad.”