Are Our Peace Officers Heros?

It is common knowledge that none of those who are heroes ever think they are. They may never see themselves in that light, but they are heroes to others so it's all in the perspective. One of my favorite quotes is this:
The beauty of the soul shines out when a man bears with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper. - Aristotle

To me that is the definition of a hero. Our peace officers go out there every day and put their lives on the line for us. They get little respect if any, work for minimal pay, and face an apathetic if not hostile public day in and day out. There are few days that go by that they're not cursed, ridiculed, and slandered. The media for the most part will forever report only the bad stories, when an officer makes a mistake or takes a misstep, and then slant that story in such a way to put him or her and his or her department in the worst possible light. They seek out and find the one officer in thousands who misfits the badge and makes them a headline story that tarnishes the image of every officer in the country. And yet...they get up every day, they pick up that badge, they go out the door, and they do their job if not with a smile at least with professionalism and the dignity that their profession embodies. If that's not the very definition of bearing "with composure one heavy mischance after another, not because he does not feel them, but because he is a man of high and heroic temper" then I don't know what is.

They go through doors when they don't know who is on the other side, they go around corners when they don't know what's waiting for them, they make those routine traffic stops that they know could be anything but routine. They stand between us and those who would do us harm. They see the worst of the worst of what we as a public do to each other day in and day out. And yet they still go on. They still have the compassion to take a small child's hand in theirs and comfort them when they're lost or afraid. They still risk their own lives to save ours. They stand in front of us, beside us, and behind us. It's a shame that most of us aren’t standing in front of, beside, and behind them.

They say they're not heroes. They say they’re just doing their job. I have to respectfully disagree. They look into a mirror and see a cop. I'm looking in that mirror from a different angle. I see a hero.

Does the media carry a portion of the blame for the way our officers are treated? My personal opinion is yes, they do. The loss of an officer barely gets a shrug of the shoulders with maybe the exception of their local station like 'it's their job' or 'well he must have made a mistake'. Why does it take something like what happened in Oakland or 9/11 before anybody starts paying attention? And why aren't we, the general public, taking the media to task for not making sure their viewers know and understand who the real heroes are and that somebody obviously has declared open season on our officers? If you stopped a hundred people on the street on any given day and asked them if they know that a specific celebrity died...you would get one hundred who said yes. If you asked those same one hundred people if they know that as of July 26, 2009 that we have already lost 73 officers in the line of duty this year alone...I bet you wouldn't get one who knew that. And that's not right. Shame on the media, shame on us, and shame on those who have the power to influence public opinion and are letting their views be distorted by publicity and often undeserved fame. And a final "shame" on those who are allowing themselves to be led around like sheep to a slaughter instead of thinking for themselves. There are exceptions to the biased media coverage that is the norm with specific stations that go out of their way to shed a well-deserved positive light on what our peace officers do for us and report those rare instances of bad news about them fairly. When we find one of those, we, the viewers, should be commending them for their actions and letting them know that they are appreciated and give them our support just as we should be voicing our protests to those who don’t.

The perceptions of our officers by the general public may never change. But that will never stop me from trying to make it change. I came to this late. I spent a lot of years being one of those who wasn't paying attention. Well, I'm paying attention now and I may not change everybody's mind, but maybe I can change ONE person's mind. That's one more than we had yesterday. And maybe we can both change one mind tomorrow...now we've doubled again. I'm not saying it will be an easy task, and I'm not saying it will be a truly achievable task. But, I'm trying. And I'm not alone. There are a lot of us. The ~A Tribute To Those Who Wear The Shield~ cause is more than 15,000 strong now with a mix of officers and supporters, which is not bad considering we were at 500 members in February. Okay, that's a drop in the bucket compared to the general population at large, but it's 15,000 people who at least took the time to take an action that says "I care". So there are people who care and there are people who know and understand what our officers do for us.

Will these officers ever see themselves as heroes? My guess would be probably not. But to those of us standing on the outside looking in, those of us who don't have the courage to do what they do...they are heroes to us and we thank them.

Written By: Peggy Milligan - Administrator of the Facebook Cause
~A Tribute To Those Who Wear The Shield~
August 15, 2009

American Police Hall of Fame awards: Christopher Dewey - Purple Heart

Deputy Christopher Dewey is awarded the Purple Heart from the American Police Hall of Fame and Medal of Honor from the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office and the Community of Mahnomen County, MN


On February 18, 2009 lives were changed forever. Deputy Christopher Dewey of the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office was shot in the head and abdomen while on duty and began a journey that has taught all who have witnessed it lessons in what it means to never give up. His life since that day has been a series of monumental highs and desperate lows that far exceed that which most will ever have to face. But, Deputy Dewey continues to face those challenges daily. On July 23, 2009 Deputy Dewey was nationally honored, like many could only dream of; a hero in a hometown war. From the perspective of one who has watched his struggle from afar, this is a thumbnail view of the story of this remarkable young deputy, his wife, his friends, and his supporters.

Lessons in Courage

Several months ago I found a post on a Facebook page about a deputy from Minnesota who had been shot but was miraculously still alive and was even making remarkable progress. There was a link there to his CaringBridge website (CaringBridge - Chris Dewey). I thought I would go there and post a short message of encouragement and that would be that. I was wrong.

I did go there, and what I found drew me back day after day. I found the story of Deputy Christopher Dewey, how the incident occurred, when, and where. I also found one of the most courageous, strong, and determined young men I had ever had the privilege to meet. I've been posting on his site for so long now that he and his family have become like my own. Chris' young wife is named Emily. There's nothing that I could say about Emily that would be too much or over the top. She has stayed by his side since the first day. The support across the country for Chris is nothing short of phenomenal. Part of that is due to Sheriff Doug Krier and the deputies of Mahnomen County. Part of it is due to the citizenry of their area. A very large part of it is due to Emily Dewey. Her daily posts to Chris' website keep all of the visitors apprised of his daily struggles as well as her own. She tells us the story of Chris, the man. While weaving his life into ours, she has also allowed us to get to know their families. There are days that other members write the journal entry and we have all come to know them just as if they are our own family. The love and support that they continually provide to both Emily and Chris is an amazing thing to watch and my life has been blessed to be a witness to it.

Chris is not my son and Emily is not my daughter. But I feel like they are. When I was set to take a vacation to Montana in June, I inquired about the possibility of going through Denver to visit with them. At first it didn't look like that was going to happen as Chris had suffered several serious set-backs over the previous weeks and I did not want to impose on them in any way. But, Emily, in her graciousness, asked me to make the stop. I cannot tell you what an inspiring moment it was to meet her and her sister, Hannah. This young lady, who is really just a slip of a girl, has a strength that just literally shines from her eyes. I found the same candid, open, and friendly woman in person that I knew from her journal entries. I desperately wanted to express to her how much I admired her and how proud I was of the fight that Chris continued to display. I'm sure I did it poorly, but I hope she knows. And, I hope someday that Chris knows.

There was a day during all of this that my good friend, Officer John Pasko, left me speechless. He asked me to help him gather info on the incident because he wanted to nominate Chris for the Purple Heart and induction into the American Police Hall of Fame. Speechless partly because I didn't know there was such a thing. But, mostly it was because I felt a huge swell of pride that Chris was going to be nominated for such a prestigious honor. Naturally, I had no idea if it would be awarded, and I quickly realized that awarded or not, just to be nominated was something of which he could always be proud. True to my nature, I wanted to run right out and tell everybody, shout it from the rooftops even, but of course I couldn't do that. The days rocked on and the closer it came to time for the decision to be made, the more nervous I was for him. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was so very deserving, but it was never my decision to make.

As the time waiting passed slowly, Chris continued to have good days and bad days. I so often asked why he continued to get knocked back down every time he struggled back to his feet. Once again, I found myself drawing my strength from both Emily and Chris. Emily’s faith has remained steadfast throughout. Of course she has her days of frustration. How could she possibly not? But, she never lets that faith and positive outlook waver. And, who can read Emily's words each day and "watch” Chris fight back time and time again and not be amazed, inspired, and awed by what he has accomplished and continues to accomplish? I can't. There have been nights that I've gone to bed with my heart aching for what he's going through. But there has not been a single night that my heart was not just filled to over-flowing with pride in him and how hard he works.

Without Emily, I fear that a lot of people would forget about how hard he's working and how long he's been struggling. The public as a rule has a short memory. But we haven't forgotten Chris. And I can honestly say for myself, and probably thousands of others who visit the site daily, we never will. Chris has left a huge imprint on my life. But, it's not just Chris. Emily, both of their families, Sheriff Krier, Deputy Peterson, the entire Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office, the officers in Colorado who have continued to stand by them and help them, the faithful posters to his site...all of these people and so many more have touched lives and hearts throughout the country, and especially mine.

Then the big day came. My chat window popped open and I had a message from John. The decision was in. I literally held my breath as I waited. I got one word...YES!!! I remember laughing even though there were tears of joy and pride in my eyes. I honestly felt like one of my children was being honored in such a manner. The few days after that were ones of biting nails and checking through Sheriff Krier's daughter to see if the award got there. Sheriff Krier had traveled to Colorado for the week before it arrived. It was a concerted effort by all to get the award to Colorado on time. But, thanks to a team effort it made it. And now we have a picture of that event. How fitting to see Chris surrounded by those who were there to witness him receive those honors. There is Emily, forever at his side as well as Sheriff Krier, who would always be at his side physically if he could, but is always there in spirit. And the others are officers from both the Denver and Englewood Police Departments. In the presence of these people he was awarded the Purple Heart he deserved, but he was also honored with the Medal of Honor on behalf of the Mahnomen County Sheriff's Office and the community of Mahnomen County. Sheriff Krier told Chris in essence that he was being given that award for his strength, courage, and determination...something that anyone who knows him and all of us visiting his website have had the distinct privilege of witnessing for ourselves as told through Emily's words. There is no way that I could have felt more pride in him receiving those awards than if they had been awarded to either of my own sons.

The Dewey's have allowed many of us into their lives to share in the ups and downs, the setbacks and the triumphs. They will forever be a part of my family and no amount of words could say more than the ones below.

Emily, thank you. Chris, my most sincere congratulations!

Written By: Peggy Milligan - Administrator of the Facebook Cause
~A Tribute To Those Who Wear The Shield~
August 15, 2009

Back in Texas - Not Where I Belong

Written on July 1, 2009 after returning from the 3rd summer vacation to Montana

~~~

Well, 12 days and 4,885 miles later, we're finally home after a wonderfully fabulous vacation to the home of my heart--God's Country--the great State of Montana. This was our 3rd year and by far the most memorable.


It started with a quick shift to our itinerary when I suddenly found myself with the opportunity to travel through Denver to meet and visit with Deputy Chris Dewey's wife, Emily, and her sister, Hannah Bergman. It was truly an honor and a privilege to be able to meet these two women I've been "talking" to for quite some time on Chris' CaringBridge site and I thank them both for taking the time to see me. It was an experience I will forever treasure. I also had an opportunity while I was there to present them with some special hats. If you don't already know the story behind these and are interested, send me an email and I will explain. (Thank you to my son, Doug, for making the hats happen on time.)

There were many memorable moments on this trip. Although we have mainly stayed in the Bozeman to West Yellowstone area in the past, this trip was to have an additional purpose. This year a trip up to the Kalispell/Whitefish area was planned from the start with one goal--to find and visit the roadside cross that marked the location of the accident that eventually took the life of a Montana Highway Patrol officer - Trooper Mike Haynes. It was a very emotional moment for me to stand at that white cross that bears the MHP patch, adorned with flowers and a U.S. flag. I never met Trooper Haynes, but his loss affected my life in ways I cannot fully explain. His tragic death became the catalyst for me to wake up, speak up, and speak out. It marked the starting point of my involvement in trying to promote not only public awareness of the officers we are losing, but also recognition and understanding of what they face each day for so little reward and a lack of respect from an, at best, apathetic and, at worst, hostile public in general. Rest in peace, Trooper Haynes. You gave me a voice. I thank you for that and I thank you for your service. You will never be forgotten.

Another of many emotional moments came when I visited the Missoula Law Enforcement Memorial. I certainly did not expect for this experience to make me cry, but it did. I made the pictures I wanted to make when we first got there, and then I sat down on the bench and read the names. I could have sworn that heard the roll call being read aloud as my eyes passed over each name and the date of each ones death.

Another memorable event came about when I learned there was to be a Public Safety Day event held in Kalispell during our time there. This introverted (in person) woman did visit to show my support and even managed to speak to a few of the officers there. It was a privilege to attend and very uplifting to see the numer of parents attending with their children.

And I must thank a Deputy Sheriff friend on PoliceLink who wisely advised me to get off of the Interstates and main highways. His suggestions of some alternate routes provided us with views of the most magnificent scenery that I have ever seen in my life, including the one below from Seeley Swan Valley. Thank you "K". I'll never forget what I saw and I've learned my lesson. "Get out of the tourist traps and see the real Montana." Thank you, sir.

And last, but most definitely not least, was a visit to Great Falls specifically to meet and visit with David Sherman of KRTV. Not only did Dave put me at ease right from the first second, but I also got the promised tour of the station, met several of the other staff members, and had a most enjoyable conversation with him during the visit. At this point in the trip, I was pretty sure I had managed to meet and greet just about all of the strangers I could handle for a while and almost chickened out on going. I am so very glad I didn't. That visit turned out to be one of the high points of the entire trip and I thank you, Dave, for making me feel welcome and at home. And if I failed to mention it while I was there, thank you for your past service to our country and I'm glad you found your home in Montana.

So...now I'm back home and I must say thank you to John Pasko and my fellow admins on the ~A Tribute To Those Who Wear The Shield~ cause for so dilligently picking up the slack for me while I was away. And an extra special thank you to John for his steadfast faith in me and his always needed and readily available encourgagement. Thank you, my brother.

Montana--don't go anywhere. I'll be back.

Police Officer Thank You

The uniform's as varied
As the badges on their chests.
They do their job, they give it all,
They give to it their best.

They know there is no fortune.
They know there'll be no fame.
They know you may dislike them.
But they do it just the same.

Underneath those badges
Their hearts beat all as one.
They don't give up because they know
Then evil would have won.

Courage is engraved there
Upon each brave one's chest.
Valor, honor, dignity
Are words that join the rest.

The words are not for us to see
Inscribed there just the same.
And when one fails to pass the test
Somehow they all get blamed.

The hearts beneath those badges
Aren't made of hardened steel.
Did you think a badge was armor?
Did you think they couldn't feel?

They stand so tall in front of us
These valiant souls so few.
I thank them now for all they do.
I thank them now, won't you?
 
Written By: Peggy Milligan - Administrator of the Facebook Cause
~A Tribute To Those Who Wear The Shield~
May 11, 2009

Angels Among Us

As each day passes on this winding road

Angels walk among us with a heavy load.

They never ask you remember their names
They don't expect fortune or fame.

They deserve but seldom get in return
The respect that they so silently earn.

Too often we'll hear the familiar call
'All gave some, some gave all.'

Tragedy has to befall their ranks
Before we remember to give them our thanks.

We pray for those taken, so suddenly gone,
And forget about those who carry on.

We forget that they grieve the loss of a brother
They do their jobs, pray there won't be another.

Blood-stained and spattered, it still holds strong,
That thin blue line that they travel along.

A friendly smile, a nod, a wave,
Seldom seen by these men so brave.

Anniversaries and birthdays are often missed,
With those they left with a hug and a kiss.

They knock on that door; they answer that call.
Will this be the last one? Will this one be all?

Did you have a chance to say 'thank you' today?
Will your next chance be only at the angel's grave?

They give of themselves to us every day.
Why shouldn't we go out of our way?

Tell them you thank them. Tell them today.
Don't turn your head, look the other way.

They stand to protect us, home and afield
They wear a gun and they wear a shield.

There are angels among us. To you I say,
"God bless you, sir. And have a safe day."

Written By: Peggy Gunn Milligan - Administrator of the Facebook Cause
~A Tribute To Those Who Wear The Shield~
April 25, 2009

What Does The Term Police Officer Mean To You

I believe this was my first public statement regarding my feeling about our police officers.  It was in response to the title question posed on the discussion boards of our cause on Facebook, ~A Tribute To Those Who Wear The Shield~.  I had just recently joined the cause and this was posted on April 10, 2009.

~~~~~

What does "Police Officer" mean to me? How long do you have?

First, I have to start by saying that I sort of got here late. I've always respected and admired all law enforcement officers, but it has only been lately that I began to fully understand what they mean to me. That's a shameful thing to admit since I have an ex-brother-in-law who was an officer, a sister who was the first female Deputy for the county where we were raised, and a nephew who is an officer now for the town I live in. When I first got on Facebook, I started joining some of the causes and groups that represented the law enforcement community just out of respect for who they are. I still didn't really get it. So what caused it?

Well, I was born in raised in Texas and still reside there. I'm proud to be a Texan. But, I have sort of adopted Montana in my heart as where I was supposed to have been born and raised. I've only been there twice, but like I said, I sort of adopted it. I get news feeds from several Montana news stations, and a few weeks back one of those emails contained a report of a traffic accident that involved a Montana State Trooper that was hit by a drunk driver. I read it and it upset me, but the report was that he was critical but stable. I checked the next day and there was no update. A few more days passed before I decided to check again and see if I could find out anything about how he was doing but I couldn't find anything new. The very next day, I got another email. One that said Trooper Mike Haynes was gone. That email hit me so hard. It was the last thing I expected and I find it difficult to even write this without tears. I can't explain why I felt the loss so deeply, but I did and still do. The more it weighed on my mind, the more I started thinking. I went to the ODMP page and started reading. So many...how can there be so many?

Every new name that appeared began to hit me just as hard as it did to read about Trooper Haynes. Then I found out about Tim Davis in Cedar Rapids and Chris Dewey out of Minnesota and signed up for both of their care pages. And every day, I spent more and more time thinking about what they give up every day for us. So after that protracted, rambling explanation of how I got here, let me tell you what "Police Officer" means to me.

It means that special breed of man or woman who pins on a badge each day and goes out the door to protect and serve the public. I've often heard it called a shield, and in one sense I think that's true in that it represents the person wearing it who tries to shield us. If only it were a shield for them. They spend their days and nights being cursed, ridiculed, slandered, and worse. And yet tomorrow, when the person who cursed them today calls for help, they will go. The next day, when the person who once swore he would 'kill the first cop' he saw is in trouble, they will go. The day after that, when the city that was up in arms about a drunk driver being treated "too harshly" comes under attack, they will go.

These people endure what the publich dishes out, day in and day out but they still get up every day and pin on that badge and go out the door. They see the worst in this world of what we do to each other. If they show no reaction, the public doesn't understand and ask if they don't have any feelings. If they do, the public doesn't understand and look down their noses at them like they thought they should be stronger. How can they be stronger?

It's a special few who put their lives on the line every day just to keep us safe and they ask their families to make the same committment because that's who they are inside and they don't know how to be anything else. And yet in spite of what they endure, in spite of what they see, in spite of what they have to do every day, there's room for a spot inside of them that makes them go out of their way to take a kid shopping at Christmas for toys they might not otherwise have. They still make time to participate in marathons for Special Olympics and all of those other fundraisers for worthy causes that most of us try to ignore because we're "too busy". They don't look the other way. They always come when we call. No matter what the circumstance, no matter who we are...they always come.

So knowing all of this, when did it get to be okay to have open season on these heroes? What makes someone pick up a gun and point it at the very person who would hold out their hand to help them if they just gave them the chance? I don't understand.

If I had to pick just one word to define "Police Officer", it would be a word that is much overused and misused these days, but in this case it is appropriate. Hero.
 
I used to be like most everybody, I guess. You pass a patrol car on the street and you glance at the speedometer as you wonder if he'll give you a ticket. I don't do that anymore. Now, when I pass that patrol car, or I see an officer on the street, in a restaurant, or any other setting...it's with one thought. Each incident results in a whispered prayer. 'God bless you and I pray He'll keep you safe.'