For Those That Wear the Badge

A poem from a friend, an old school cop

The Sea of Blue

So many have gathered together, people you don't even know,

Brothers and Sisters alike, who have all suffered a blow.

They have come from near and far, so many different places.

Among this sea of blue, exists nothing but somber faces.

While you stand at attention, so rigid and so numb,

you never wanted to believe that this day might come.

How you hoped you would never have to be in this line.

These indelible images, that will be forever frozen in time.

The line that serves and protects is always true,

a line that will never be anything but long, thin and blue.

Each one that wears the badge upon their chest, 

knows that they are a breed unlike the rest.

Badges of silver and gold, adorned in black mourning bands,

all are spit and polish, white gloves on their hands.

Assembled together, paying homage to one of their own.

Always they will stand together, but today, they stand alone.

With precision steps, the honor guard will pass by,

and then skillfully, they will point their rifles to the sky.

In deference, rigid arms will be raised in salute,

while twenty-one shots will signal silent prayers of tribute.

Almost immediately, the soft whines of the pipes will commence,

praising our fallen hero with its melodic song of reverence.

As "Amazing Grace" reverberates it woeful tune in to your heart,

none will find solace when the sea of blue has been torn apart.

 

A Sea of Blue

I hold my head down in sadness and prayer. We are losing brothers and sisters in blue at an alarming rate. Who will stand up for the weak?

The world as we knew it is no more.

There are factions far more deadlier than the average thug on the street. Not to minimize our thugs, because they are becoming exceedingly dangerous too. Home grown terrorists and violent groups are looting, pillaging, destroying and killing, all in the name of some perceived threat against one person.

 In the minds of the violent and dangerous, the assassination of a group of people in the name of "justice" is a right. Putting aside the fact that 2 wrongs don't make a right, there is hatred and disgust for those who protect us every day.
The deafening voices of the many angry followers crying racism accusing our protectors of stereotyping. Yet, a certain group trained and dedicated in protecting the rights of all citizens are painted with the same brush. Isn't there a certain hypocrisy in that theory? Certainly there are bad people everywhere and in every group and they don't discriminate based on ethnicity, religion, sex, etc. We are not a perfect species and it's highly unlikely we ever will be.

Yep, the world is falling apart and there is plenty of blame to go around.

As a former law enforcement officer, I can say without a doubt that I have seen and experienced some of life's beautiful moments and some of life's wretchedness. I have been shot at (and missed), spat upon, assaulted, threatened and called by more vulgar names than you can imagine. Because I took an oath before I pinned on that badge, I endured it. No more.

Our world is changing rapidly. Throughout the decades law enforcement has gone from being the good guys to becoming the bad guys. Why? Who is to blame and how do we change it? Can it even be changed? With the continued threat to our country's security, we should all be thankful that there are people out there willing to risk their own lives in an effort to deter, apprehend and prosecute those that would threaten our way of life. But no, home grown terrorism, fueled by more hate and a twisted sense of justice that starts at the top, continues spreading its tentacles throughout our great country. Now our politicians want to literally handcuff police and take away the tools necessary to protect themselves and others. Are they serious? A softer image, you say? They're already afraid to do their jobs for fear of reprisals. They're being gunned down  in the streets and you want to take away all manner of defending themselves and others? In order to effectively perform their duties, they need all the right tools. They also need us, the citizenry, to watch their back by supporting them 100%.

There are those that would argue that America was never great. To you, I say, "How dare you?" Sure, she made mistakes along the way but she changed, recovered and moved on. Again, we are not a perfect species. However, if you do not like the democratic way of life that America provides you, I say, "Go away and find some place more suited to your needs."
Our way of life is threatened and terrorists, both here and abroad, despise us and all that we stand for.

These same politicians-you know, those folks who thought it would be really cool to stage a sit in in the house chamber-also want to make this all about gun control.

Terrorists are getting them. Oh, wait! Terrorists? In our country? No! The hell you say!
WAKE.THE. FUCK.UP! You left the door open, fools!

Those guys sitting on their asses want your guns. The guns we need to protect ourselves from the continued violence that the present administration seems to be egging on. There's a reason for the steady increase in gun sales. They will not get my guns. I will defend myself and I am thankful to live in a red state where the right to defend one's self and the right to bear arms is part of the state's Constitution.

I sit and ponder what our future holds. Will our warring factions allow for both the DNC and RNC to proceed with their party's particulars and nominations? Rumor has it that more chaos and rioting is planned in an effort to disrupt our political process. Do we need more anarchy, destruction and murder? How is it ok to do these things because you believe one particular candidate is a racist bully? The other candidate is a pathological liar and has blood on her hands. Is she any better? Ladies and Gentlemen, I have an announcement to make....
You know that jackass in the White House? He made us. A country is only as good as its leader and right now, our leader f'n sucks. He has done so much to screw up this country and has lied so much....the list is too long.

What's left for us to do? For one thing, let's settle down and stop the needless destruction and slaughter of innocents. Let us establish a dialogue that is not one sided and where one party doesn't shout down the other. Pointing fingers, blaming one side, and calling each other names solves nothing. Politicians need to step up to the plate and stop pandering and blaming before the facts are all in.  
Can the members of BLM stop and think? The more militant you become, the more you become a threat. #Alllivesmatter  #Bluelivesmattertoo

In my lifetime I have been witness to many tragic events. Some so memorable and devastating that I often wish I could wipe those terrible events from my memory. The wanton assassination of law enforcement officers is nothing short of horrific.

Take the time to thank the men and women who serve and protect you.
Were it not for them and their sacrifices, our country would be in a far worse state.

To my Brothers and Sisters who wear the badge upon their chest -

May he watch over you