A Police Wife's Manifesto

The recent events involving the deaths, injuries and threats to California Police Officers and their families has weighed heavily on my heart. The circumstances behind these deaths are even more troubling. There has been an outpouring of support for these Officers, however, with the media and social media, many hateful words and generalizations have been made toward the members of the Law Enforcement community as well. With every status update, article comment, interview and speculation made, I felt myself become more defensive and angry at what many members of our society think of law enforcement. I'd rather not focus on the accusations behind this whole incident. All I can say is that there are disgruntled and corrupt employees in every corporation; there is no justification for retaliation in the form of murder and the taking of innocent lives.

I'm in a situation where I have an obvious bias. My husband and many of my closest friends are police officers. They are good, just people who value the integrity of the position they uphold. I am unbelievably proud to be the wife of a man who was called to be in this position. I've never doubted his ability to be in this position; I'm in awe of how well fit he is for this career and I'm glad that he is able to have a career that he believes in. It certainly has not been an easy road, as it has put some added stressers on our marriage, but I've learned that I must value every day and every minute that we have together. We've matured and become stronger in our marriage because of his profession.

The Thin Blue Line has long been a symbol of our nation’s law enforcement. The blue represents our police officers and the courage they must find in order to stand in harm’s way time and time again. The black around it represents their fallen comrades. Every time an officer is killed in the line of duty, it is said that the thin blue line gets just a little bit thinner. The line itself is the strongest symbol and it is the very reason why these men and women choose to serve – it represents the barrier between good and evil, anarchy and civil society, the barrier between the innocent and the predators.

Like all military, fire and police wives, my greatest fear is losing my husband in the line of duty. Seeing the widow of the fallen officer hits so close to home. Many people cannot begin to understand her sacrifice and the challenges she now has ahead of her. As the spouse, parent or child of a police officer, you are taught to be strong; you learn it over time. People constantly ask me if I worry about him and my initial answer is that I trust in God and know my husband is well trained...but of course I worry! I just try not to think about it often. I just pray every night for him because that is the only control that I have. He prays every morning on his way into work for guidance and strength. I want his values instilled into our son. I'm so excited that our baby boy will get to have Jared as his father and someone to model after.

I can't change the minds and opinions of the people out there, but I ask you, as a friend of mine, to change the way you think of these men and women. The majority in this career are doing it for the right reasons and these are the individuals worth focusing on. They are here to protect you from seeing and experiencing harm; they do it for you. They risk their lives every day just by putting on a uniform. These men and women have families to come home to, that love them unconditionally, so please think twice before insulting an entire profession based on the few who give it a poor name. If you know a police officer, I encourage you to extend your thanks for the sacrifice they make. I've seen how much the expression of gratitude has impacted my husband and our friends in this profession.

God bless our police officers, their families and all those that love them.