Recently, the nation concluded its recognition of National Police Week. Local newspapers and digital media covered the memorial held at the Franklin Gazebo for North Carolina officers who died last year. Government and church leaders all honored officers at local events, meetings and services.
It was not enough. One week will never be enough.
I’m personally a big fan and admirer of all first responders – including utility workers who go out at all hours in wind, rain, sleet and snow to restore our electricity. But, I have a special place in my heart for law enforcement.
And before you ask, only one of my known relatives (by marriage) was ever in law enforcement. I come by my love and respect for the folks behind the badge honestly and with an appreciation for reality. I’m friends with several officers, and as usual, whenever there is some controversy, they provide me information I can trust versus the traditional media.
Of all the first responders, I feel like the police deserve a special level of respect and appreciation. In a way, I see them as a local version of military service men and women.
Firefighters, EMS, and yes, utility workers, all face life-threatening dangers, but very rarely do they face a situation where people regularly try to kill or maim them.
In no other municipal job are civil servants regularly facing what law enforcement officers do. Don’t believe me? Do some social media searches. You won’t find many examples of people throwing bricks at government budget analysts, but there are truckloads of videos showing “mostly peaceful” protestors berating and physically attacking law enforcement. You easily can find videos of officers fighting for their lives over traffic stops. Yet, politicians will deny this happens with a straight face. Or worse, they blame the officer, not the criminal.
Did any other municipal civil servant endure “protestors” who tried to lock them in their station and burn it down?
Good vs. evil
We live in a world of good and evil. Period. And, every day, law enforcement personnel put on their badge, strap on their belt and leave their family to face people who, at worst, have evil in their hearts. (The same goes for our military service men and women, but that’s a column for a different day.)
Across the country, in 2025, as many as 111 officers died in the line of duty, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. I’m not going to relive how they all died, but suffice it to say, one too many were targeted by evil people.
Those 111 officers, and the thousands of others like them, went out for each shift knowing they might not come home. Their wives, husbands, children, siblings and parents live with that fear 24-7. So, it’s not just the officers I admire, it’s their families too.
Needless to say, all of this also applies to our federal civil servants. Homeland Security, ICE, Secret Service and all the others deserve our respect and support.
It’s a joke that the media, Democrat politicians and “No Kings” Leftist geriatrics loved ICE when Obama was president.
Now, they seethe with deranged rage over immigration enforcement. Or, is it the faux rage of the loyal or paid opposition?
Regardless, I will never forgive the crooked Antifa, BLM and politicians who consistently disparage and even physically attack those civil servants. You attack an officer of the law, you’re a criminal. Pure and simple.
Those people who posted ACAB (all cops are bastards) on buildings, or who raised money for their own mansions in 2020 while city blocks burned and citizens were attacked, or those who want to defund the police (until they need them!) all have a special place reserved for them in Hell.
Do law officers make mistakes? Should we criticize bad behavior? Yes. Officers are human, no one is perfect, and no one is above the law. But any given year, as many as 50 million Americans interact with the police. Only a fraction of law enforcement interactions are negative. This speaks to the professionalism of the men and women in blue. They do their jobs for good. It’s a vocation. I will not excuse the bad apples, but I won’t attack the entire profession, ever.
At Franklin’s memorial event, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations Special Agent Lauren Crawford spoke to the dedication of serving on the thin blue line. She called the members of law enforcement our peacemakers.
“Unlike peacekeepers who may avoid conflict to maintain a superficial calm, peacemakers like you (officers) enter into conflict to find lasting solutions,” she said.
Our law enforcement runs into situations where people will try to kill them, so they can protect the innocent. That deserves our prayers and praise.
I’m glad I’m not alone. Look at the photo below of Main Street in 2020 at a pro-law enforcement rally. The businesses put up blue balloons to show their support. It was one more reason why I know Franklin is home.
County Commissioner Danny Antoine said it perfectly at the recent memorial event, “May we never take for granted the freedoms and security purchased through the dedication of those who we honor today.”
Agreed. God bless our peacemakers and God bless our law enforcement officers.