Continued from Page 10 jail. Given many breaks. Prayed for people I don’t even know. Yes, and at times I have been violent when I had to be. I have been kind when I could... I admit I have driven to some dark place and cried by myself when I was overwhelmed. I have missed Christmas and other holidays more than I wanted to. Every cop I know has done all What I fear more than COVID-19 As I’ve struggled to sort out my feelings about covid-19, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are so many things that I fear more than covid-19. * I fear living in a country where statistics and fear are used to control masses of people because both can be easily manipulated. * I fear living in a country where a city can ban even drive-in church services that are following the recommended social distancing recommendations set by the government. * I fear living in country where the people are so anxious to get 00 that they will let the government pass a ,000,000,000,000 stimulus package loaded with money for their favorite projects and not even think twice about it. * I fear living in a country where hospitals will lie about the cause of death of a patient so they can get more funding from the government. * I fear living in a country where the government chooses which businesses will survive and which will not. * I fear living in a country where we as citizens hand over God given rights on the basis of “scientific models” that are proving to be wrong. * I fear living in a country where If you think this Pandemic is bad, imagine what our grandparents endured these things and more for lousy pay, sucky hours and a short life expectancy. We don’t want your pity; I don’t care for your respect. Just let us do our jobs without killing us... please. we use the rhetoric if we save one life it is worth it, but don’t care about those that will commit suicide because of the economic destruction that is happening. * I fear living in a country where life is valued more than freedom. 620,000 people died in the civil war. That would be comparable to 6 million people today. I’m sure it would have been safer for them to quarantine themselves at home. However, they understood this one truth, freedom is more important than life itself. And I fear once given up, the government will not relinquish those freedoms without a fight. 0,000 ..what it won’t get you. Continued from Page 8 crashes, reports, citations, and arrests they seemed to push you further and further from ever asking anymore, the question as to why? Promoting up, wasn’t your first thought. You were just grateful to be here. But as time went by, and experience showed you promotions are a means to making things better. You did it for yourself and your career, of course. But your heart was in the right place. You wanted to make things better your Troops, the Department and your community. And, what do ya know? That’s exactly what you did. That gold badge on your chest, it wasn’t just for show. From your Academy Class alone, how many of you are left? Do you even know? What are some of the stories of those who may be gone? Where did they go? How far did they roam? On the backside of time and your career, here you stand. Grateful you’re still here. Yet, somber for all the heartache and loss you’ve seen and ultimately endured. From the first time your name was called to the last name sent in for your pension and all you probably still feel pretty young inside. But your eyes tell the story of a life lived that no one could ever hide. You started out with a “wheel gun” and ended with a semi-auto and a light, of all things, attached to it. Who’d of ever thought? Truth be told, probably you. Because you never forgot who you were or where you came from. Yet, you always had the knack to keep an eye on the horizon. Learning and yearning to make this place we all call home just a little better than the way you found it. And that my friend, is the absolute most anyone could’ve ever asked of you. Resoundingly and without fail, you answered the call. Time and time again, your voice can forevermore be heard echoing through the halls; “Send me and, I will go”. “Imagine you were born in 1900. your breath. On your 41st birthday, do you survive all of that? When On your 14th birthday, World War the United States is fully pulled into you were a kid in 1985 and didn’t I starts, and ends on your 18th WWII. Between your 39th and 45th think your 85 year old grandparent birthday. 22 million people perish in birthday, 75 million people perish understood how hard school was. that war. Later in the year, a Spanish in the war. At 50, the Korean War And how mean that kid in your class Flu epidemic hits the planet and starts. 5 million perish. At 55 the was. Yet they survived through runs until your 20th birthday. 50 Vietnam War begins and doesn’t everything listed above. Perspective million people die from it in those end for 20 years. 4 million people is an amazing art, refined as time two years. Yes, 50 million. On your perish in that conflict. On your 62nd goes on, and enlightening like you 29th birthday, the Great Depression birthday you have the Cuban Missile wouldn’t believe. Let’s try and keep begins. Unemployment hits 25%, Crisis, a tipping point in the Cold things in perspective.” the World GDP drops 27%. That runs War. Life on our planet, as we know I am in no way minimizing what is until you are 33. The country nearly it, should have ended. Great lead- happening now. But this helps put it collapses along with the world ers prevented that from happening. in perspective. We will get through economy. When you turn 39, World When you turn 75, the Vietnam this. Praying for all of you, my Facebook War II starts. You aren’t even over War finally ends. Think of everyone friends! the hill yet. And don’t try to catch on the planet born in 1900. How Copied from a Facebook Post. 14 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 15
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