Editor's Note: This piece was received from a reader Jacqueline Wagner on our Facebook page
As I sit here and listen to my children play and reflect on the past week, Police Week 2015, I am flooded with emotion. The sadness for the loss of life, the unnecessary, tragic and heartbreaking loss of so many warriors in blue. The anguish for the wives who will never again here the rip of Velcro, that telltale sign that he has made it home safe. They will never again say “I love you, be safe” or feel the comfort of his arms around them. The anguish for the children who will never know their parent. Those who will never get to run and jump into their fathers’ arms or just sit and read a book with them. The thoughts of the daughters who have been robbed of their fathers to walk them down the aisle, the sons who will never have a mother-son dance or go fishing on a father-son trip, the forever empty chairs where their second parent should be, and the other important life events, graduations, births of children, first jobs and other firsts that will all be marred with a touch of heartache due to their loss.
There is also a touch of anger. I am angry that their names had to be added to the memorial. I’m angry that they were taken. I am also angry that there are so many people out there who do not respect the badge. Angry that our commander and chief sends White House representatives to criminal’s funerals but not to the funerals of those who serve and protect. I am angry that people say things, hurtful things without thinking. There have been many comments made this past week that the memorial is unnecessary, that the lives the blue family lost should not be mourned more than those of our military who have made the ultimate sacrifice, and that a week designated to remember our fallen is inappropriate. These comments encompass what is wrong with this country. The fact that we cannot commemorate one group of people without acknowledging others is dreadful. Police week is designated as a time where we, as a nation, can come together and acknowledge those who will not come home and the families who are mourning them. Memorials are not for the dead, they are for the living. They signify to the families, friends, departments and communities that we remember their sacrifice, their pain, their loss, and their loved ones lives and deaths mattered. Memorials are a place to say thank you, we appreciate you and we will not forget you. A place where like-minded people can gather and express any emotion they feel without fear of reprisal. Blessed are the Peacemakers and they should be memorialized.
Admiration is another emotion that stands out. The strength of the families left behind is nothing short of amazing. The wives and mothers with their heads held high with pride in their fallen warrior and a hint of grief in the tear that they quickly wipe away, both show the inner strength they possess. Nothing we can say can fix this for them. Nothing we can do will help them grieve. However, I can be there, we can be there. We can tell them we remember and that we are here, always. When your knees crumble and you fall, we will catch you. When your daughter walks down the aisle, she will not be alone. When your son wants to go fishing, he will not go alone. When you need a shoulder, we will be there. We will be there to share in the important milestones, the joys that are to come, and the triumphs that will occur. We can hope that there is comfort in knowing You Will Never Be Alone. The Thin Blue Line is more than a symbol or a phrase, it is a family, a promise, a commitment, and the thread that connects us all, those who toe the blue line and those who stand behind them.
The array of emotion that hits me when I think about Police week is overwhelming. I am honored to have been there, to have taken part, to have had the opportunity to explain what the memorial is to two small children of a local officer, to have rubbed the backs of officers mourning the loss of one of their own, to toast our fallen and their families and to have felt the blue family fall in to remember and honor all those we have lost. Blessed are the Peacemakers and I am truly, truly honored to call them family.
– Jacqueline Wagner, Proud Police Wife
