Honoring Our Very Thin Blue Line

SPEAK OUT!

Honoring Our Very Thin Blue Line

Art DeJong

A passing neighbor recently spotted a blue line police flag flying from our porch and shouted to my wife, “You don’t really believe that do you??”

When she answered, “I certainly do,” the neighbor looked away and marched on. She didn’t stop for a neighborly chat about how the “thin blue line” of local law enforcement is as vital to our city and county as referees and umpires are to sport.

There was no talk about the fact that no game can survive without the courage and integrity of referees and umpires who refuse to be intimidated or bribed, and no recognition of the fact that without them there can be no game at all—no super star athletes, no celebrity coaches, no stadiums packed with fired up fans.

When the blue line breaks or is corrupted, our great cities, our stadiums of commerce, collapse, leaving empty office towers, bankrupt banks, looted stores, and streets--homes for addicts, mentally ill vagrants, and violent felons. The same is true for countries.

Yet, in the face of seemingly insurmountable chaos, our homecourt officials go on duty each day to maintain order and to keep the ball in play. We honor the routine heroism of those who make up our very thin blue line.

Art DeJong, Sheboygan, WI