"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" Matthew 5:9

This weeks theme will be different than others I’ve done in the past. There is nothing speculative, nothing paranormal to see here today. Only the gut-wrenching truths that face us as a nation, truths that uncover the hatred, bigotry and bias against law enforcement in this country. This blog may cause some of you to stop reading, right about— here. And I’m okay with that.

Some things just need to be said.

Posting this may make some folks uncomfortable or cause others to debate my position, get angry that I even brought it up. Again, I don’t care.

Knowledge is power.

Finally, writing this may cause me to lose some followers, maybe even cost me some book sales. And for this one, I really don’t care. Because the majority of my amazing family and friends wear the badge, take the risks, protect and serve. I consider the entire law enforcement community family. And I will fight with them, for them, as long as I draw breath.

Because some things are more important than the needs of the one. And for those who don’t understand—well, you get the idea.

I believe that, while most people in this country admire and respect every branch of law enforcement, they have been shamed into silence. There are those who will equate supporting a cop with racism and tyranny. So for all of you, I will be your mouthpiece; I will stand up. As for the minority who choose to demonize my family, take a seat and listen.

You just might learn something.

WE THE PEOPLE ARE PISSED: One of the most impactful things I’ve ever read I found on a T-shirt, a coffee mug, and also on a social media meme. It read “A society that makes war with its police should be prepared to make peace with its criminals.” Over the last few years, the very men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect the innocent have been vilified, verbally abused, and physically attacked. They’ve been punched and kicked and spit on for doing their job.

They’ve been shot at, stabbed, and run over by cowards who feign bravery inside the security of a vehicle. While some in this country have buried their heads in the sand, refusing to either acknowledge or rebel against the treatment of our officers, our cops are being slaughtered. Ordinary men and women, people with spouses and kids and parents who adore them.

People who proudly wear the badge and accept the dangers involved. Officers who understand that, while the majority run away from danger, they must run toward it. They must face the demons and right the wrongs, despite every survival instinct in their body screaming at them to stop, to turn around.

To live.

Every job has its stressors. My goal as a writer is to get just one more chapter done, write one more blog, meet one more deadline. Writing is my passion, but some days dealing with plot holes and research and dangling participles gets stressful.

Admittedly, I’ve never have to worry that I will get hurt or killed pounding a keyboard.

The cops who work the street worry about it every day. They start their shift with a cloud over their heads, wondering if today will be the last day they see their loved ones. The realism of mortality can mess with the mind. It is always there, a shadowed darkness lurking in the background.

An uninvited guest that refuses to leave.

It’s no wonder the life expectancy for a cop is abysmal. Every home they visit, every car they stop, every encounter they have, could be their last. Each shift is bathed in obscurity as they enter uncharted waters. There is no such thing as routine. They must always be ‘on, and are trained to expect the unexpected.

Because once they lower their shields, they become vulnerable—proof positive that becoming a cop isn’t a job, it’s a calling.

Bravery is defined as being scared to death and going in anyway, proud to be given the opportunity to serve. Integrity is doing the right thing even when one is watching. And courage is determined not by those who challenge a familiar opponent, but by those who fight a faceless enemy.

Pride. Integrity. Guts.

Our finest are being systematically taken out by a society who have become sheep, blindly following the loudest shepherd. Individuals who claim to be ‘woke’, who jump on their soapboxes waving signs and sporting flags, purporting to be on a mission of right and justice while waging a war against law officers all over the nation.

And no one is stopping it.

WE THE PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTED: Disgusted by the inaction of our leaders to correct this mindset. Outraged at the news media, whose only aim is selling copy or increasing ratings. Shocked that, unless you live under a rock, you understand the motives of these outlets but continue to patronize their lies. Repulsed that some continue to swallow the stereotypical ‘bad cop’ scenario, one that would have you believe that every person who wears the uniform is a pompous and arrogant dictator.

We are sickened that a story about the killing of a cop gets buried beneath a ‘who wore it better’ segment on the nightly news. We are offended that every police shooting involving a person of color is deemed racially motivated, often days before the facts are in.

We are annoyed that stories of burning and looting and assault are being pushed in a false narrative, one that describes those crimes as ‘protesting’ rather than what they truly are…rioting, civil disobedience, social insurrection.

Most of all, we are disgusted to know that, although the majority of Americans support the men and women in blue, they are afraid to say it out loud. Afraid to align themselves with what a minority consider the ‘enemy.’ And so, the majority remains silent, and the attacks against our police grow.

Silence conveys acceptance and consent. We’d all do well to remember that.

WE THE PEOPLE ARE HEARTBROKEN: And devastated beyond words. As of this writing, there have been 196 Line of Duty deaths in this country. Unfortunately, by the time this is published, that number may grow. But it was the last brutal killing that really spoke to me, really urged me to write about this subject.

Say her Name….Officer Ella G. French.

Ella was a police officer for three years with the Chicago Police Department. During a routine traffic stop, she and her partner were fired upon. Ella was shot in the back of the head and reportedly died on the scene. As of this writing, her partner, shot in the eye, brain, and shoulder, was in critical condition, clinging to life.

Ella was only 29 years old. The mayor of the city of Chicago blamed ‘guns and the violence they bring,’ for her death. Which really is like blaming the fork for the weight gain, the skateboard for your shattered ankle, or the booze for your hangover. Actions have consequences, and the only blame we can assign for mishaps and tragedies in our lives is on the living.

I blame the savage who held that gun.

Ella is one of 196 too many. In August alone, we have had 4 others: Officer Scott Dawley, Nelsonville PD in Ohio, auto crash; Officer George Gonzalez, US Department of Defense, stabbed; Officer Brian Russell Pierce, Brooklyn PD in Illinois, vehicular assault; and Deputy Sheriff Brandon A. Shirley, Jefferson County Sheriff Department, Kentucky, gunfire. Each one left a family, friends, people who loved them.

People who grieve them. And it’s only the beginning of August.

We the people need to take a stand against those who would subvert law and order. We must rally against those who decry the good works of the majority of law officers because of the actions of a few rogue cops, cops who don’t deserve the honor of the badge.

Daily, we are asked not to judge people by race, creed, sexual orientation or color. Yet, we fail to see the absurdity in judging the selfless acts of the many by the wayward acts of the few.

The irony astounds.

WE THE PEOPLE HAVE YOUR BACK: In good times or bad, in sickness or health, Americans and their protectors are united in a common goal—to keep this country and her people safe. To enable every man, woman, and child to walk the streets without fear. It is a job fraught with responsibility and peril and sacrifice.

And it is one impossible to do alone.

So to all of you out there who wear a badge, hear me now…I will not stop talking about it, I will not stop educating people to the truth, and I will not stop fighting for you. You deserve to be heard and respected. You have earned the right to do your job, free of interference from those who know nothing of what you do.

Because the hands that shackle you belong to those who condemn your profession, yet demand your protection.

As for me, I thank you. And I will always have your six.

#backtheblue #thinblueline

Stay safe, my people💙💙

—Q