In honor of National Police Week 2017, during which law enforcement officers are applauded for their heroic stance confronting violence and mayhem on American soil, President Donald Trump graciously hued the White House in blue, something the iconic 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue structure has not seen in eight years.
An inherently perilous job, policing in modern-day America has undergone continuous trials and tribulations, equating to more names added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) wall located in Washington, D.C.
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I could go on about what the Obama administration didn’t do for law enforcers, but I’d be preaching to a massively in-the-know choir. I prefer to primarily praise what the Trump administration has said and done before, during and after his presidential campaign. President Trump’s support for cops has been unwavering and dignifying. Exceedingly, the president’s Standing Up for Our Law Enforcement Community initiative has filled the bill. Lighting the White House blue is one example of our commander-in-chief’s standing behind his words as well as his warriors.
The allegiance I swore bound me dutifully.
As National Police Week commenced, President Trump spoke to a sea of uniforms under which were men and women who essentially swore the same oath as the U.S. president: “…solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”
Although oath-taking versions may vary, the inherent devotion to the U.S. Constitution is the same. When I jutted my hand and swore “I do” to the preceding allegiance, it did not come with a ring. It did, however, come with a badge that bound me dutifully.
In his speech at the NLEOMF wall, President Trump delivered uplifting remarks and praise pertaining to not only our country’s police heroes but also to their loved ones. Worded well, Pres. Trump rightly highlighted survivors of the fallen and the police families anxiously waiting in the wings.
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President Trump offered the following sentiments: “Every drop of blood spilled from our heroes in blue is a wound inflicted upon the whole country. And every heartache known by your families in law enforcement is a sorrow shared by the entire family of the American nation.”
Easily, these words apply to other nations that seek peace and prosperity, knowing it requires law and order to achieve.
Police families endure the constraints of potential finality, knowing full-well that each send-off could materialize into the last goodbye. But the blue line beckoned — and my children exuded pride in what their dad was setting out to accomplish, followed by the promise to come home.
Annually, the Great American Teach-In was spirited beyond measure; my kids glorified in their father’s occupational presence. It sure is reassuring and reinvigorating to have a president who glorifies America’s police forces, enough to glow his house in blue.
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I suspect children whose moms and dads are commemorated during National Police Week have a quiver in their lips, a dry swallow in their throats, and a tension rod in their spines as the heartfelt eulogies are spoken aloud. At the police memorial, Mr. Trump conveyed to the nation: “We are privileged this morning to be joined by families of the fallen, to whom we owe that ultimate loyalty. Please know that you do not grieve alone. Though we cannot fathom the depths of your loss, nor fully appreciate the bond that forms in the precinct and between partners on the beat, your sadness is left and felt by all of us.”
The poignancy in that statement is resoundingly true-blue.
The words offered by President Trump touched upon some very salient points that beckon national and international publicity. Primarily, Mr. Trump earnestly invites each of us to embrace the law enforcement mission and to cease “unfair defamation and vilification” as well as “hostility and violence.” Listen to the president’s tone, and you will hear sincere substance. Eight years of hollowness are history.
Blanketed in blue, the Oval Office also honors the 20,000-plus police assets who were felled by sinister deeds of evildoers.
Unlike any of the eight past years, our icon of American government, the White House, shines beautiful in blue and does justice to the 900,000 law enforcement officers who gear up and ensure national vitality at significant risk to themselves. Blanketed in blue, the Oval Office also honors the 20,000-plus police assets who were felled by sinister deeds of evildoers.
In startling contrast, one president disowned the dedicated police warriors safeguarding our nation — while the present nation-leader hones our country’s gatekeepers and speaks of courage, bravery and heroism. The former’s lips were seemingly atrophied in the face of police assassinations. The latter equips American cops with not only encouraging words but actions to back it all up.
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It is easy to stand with a president who stands among his nation’s cops … hued in blue.
Stephen Owsinski is a retired law enforcement officer whose career included assignments in the Uniformed Patrol Division and field training officer (FTO) unit. He is currently a senior OpsLens contributor, a researcher, and a writer. This OpsLens article is used with permission.
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