HEROES: Many are unsung

The murder of Sgt. Moore last week is a reminder of the dangers police face every day when they put on the uniform. It is also a painful reminder for the spouses and children left behind.

Each day when we kiss our loved ones goodbye in the morning/evening to go to work, we always expect them to return to us later that day. We as police officers are optimistic and always think it will be the other person and not us, while our spouses pray it won’t be their spouse that it happens too.

Some of the real heroes are the wives, who live with this fear everyday.

Unfortunately we don’t always here about the difference police play in peoples lives. Take for example the police officers in Garland, Texas, who killed the Muslim extremists at the cartoon contest. What does the media cover, Pamela Gellar who promoted the contest and the extremists who wanted to kill everyone. Oh yeah, they said the police killed the bad guys and not much else.

Imagine if the police had not been there to risk their lives, maybe hundreds of innocent people would be dead. The police are always there and savings lives every day without much media coverage, unless they do something the media perceives to be wrong.

Rightfully so, we rally around the family when a police officer gets killed, but what about the rest of the year? Are we always supportive. Are we quick to judge them when they make an error in judgment or overreact?

Unfortunately as police officers, if we make a bad judgment call it is sometimes deadly and then it is their spouses and children who pay the ultimate price for loving us.

GEORGE SILVA

Retired Deputy Sheriff & Vietnam Veteran

Proud to be in Coeur d’Alene