Blessed Are The Peacemakers

This world is changing everyday as desperate men resort to violent measures. To say that you reside in a safe, peaceful community may be accurate in this moment, but circumstances and situations are subject to change at the drop of a hat . . . without warning.

Meanwhile, brave men and women sworn to “protect” and “serve” your community are poised to do so, whatever the cost. You call them cops, pigs, the fuzz, or 5-0 — and more often than not, you fail to show them the respect they deserve for fearlessly facing danger on your behalf.

Law enforcement officers take your verbal abuse while issuing a ticket you truly deserved. They take on criminals who prey on the public. They take time away from their families to keep you safe and protected. They take their lives in their hands daily to save yours. They take it in stride when people call them names. They take the graveyard shift without complaint, because they know it’s their turn. They take guns and drugs off the streets so you can sleep in a safe environment. They take time to go to court even if they worked all night, so they can make sure the real criminals pay for the crimes the commit. They work holidays, weekends and nights, so you, the citizens, can have 24/7 police protection.

Sadly, until you are faced with a crisis of your own, some of you will view these unheralded heroes as a nuisance and their jobs as routine.

What you fail to to recognize, however, is that aside from a uniform, a gun and jurisdictional authority, these police officers are regular people just like you and me. They have families who hope and pray they come home safely at the end of each shift. The unfortunate truth is that some will not be so lucky.

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Earlier today, a deputy U.S. Marshal was shot and killed while serving an arrest warrant in Elkins, W.Va. for Charles E. Smith, 50, who was wanted on charges related to possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute.

Smith and the officers exchanged fire, and Smith was killed.

A total of three deputies were hit by a shotgun blast. One deputy "continues to recover from his injuries," and the third has been treated at nearby hospital and released.

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My thoughts and prayers are with those involved in the shooting, their families — and with my friends and loved ones who put themselves in harm’s way so I can sleep peacefully in my bed each night.

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Blessed are the peacemakers: Those who strive to prevent contention, strife, and war; who use their influence to reconcile opposing parties, and to prevent lawsuits and hostilities in families and neighborhoods.

Blessed are the law enforcement officers who strive to protect and serve your communities, even when you take their jobs and their lives for granted.