June 2024. Blues Vol 40 No.6

FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE

FROM THE EDITOR-AT-LARGE Those that can hurt you. In the course of my thirty-year+ career, I have been shot, cut, struck by a motor vehicle, hit with a pole, chuck of wood and a curling iron (A damn hot one, at that.) I’ve been spit on, cussed at, threatened, pushed off a trailer park porch and a whole host of other miscellaneous injuries. I was the recipient of multiple ambulance rides, a couple of Life Flight rides and even a ride on a TPW Game Warden Boat (Because a snake I absolutely did not see, stepped on and then was subsequently bitten by) made it happen. Well friend as you might imagine I have a few scars. Some healed up pretty good. Others, not so much. I have all the heart-breaking scars to go with the physical scars as well. I have lost a total of 14 Law Enforcement Officers whom I personally knew and worked with, who did not survive their career. I freely attest they were better men, brothers, husbands, fathers, friends and cops than I could have ever been. Hands down. They were the absolute best we (our profession) had to offer. Now, to the point of this 8 The Blues - June ‘24 month’s column. All the pain, loss, horrible memories and heart break, pales in comparison to the blows I took not from crooks, but from the few who took swipes at me wearing the same damn uniform and badge as I was. That’s right you’re tracking. The worst pain I ever had, came from our own. Don’t start thinking this is a pity-party column cause it’s not. I am simply pointing out something which is rarely ever spoken about in our profession. And that is we eat our own. We do. I have personally seen it happen time and time again. I have the scars on my heart and in my memories to prove it. And I’m not the only one. There’s plenty more just like me out there. You only to look left or right, whomever you see in a uniform, they’ve had it happen too. It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Not at all. There’s always the gleaming beam of light, a shining beacon of hope that pierces the darkness of such treachery and that my friends are called…KHARMA!! Ah, yes. That moment when you have either been subjected to their treachery or you watched it all go down to some other cop. When the universe spins the wheel, and it stops on them…there’s not much like. In fact, it’s like going through the drive through and you get the freshest fries right out of the fryer and salter. It just doesn’t get much better than that! So, fear not the criminals and poor folks who just take a swing out of desperation to get away, not so much to hurt you. Be wary of those who lurk among us who while wearing the same uniform, will plant a knife squarely in your back and smile at you when you turn around. Believe me, they are out there. In large numbers. Till next time my friend, be smart and be safe. Be kind when and wherever you can, until you can’t.

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