AN ARTIST TRIBUTE

WHAT IS A POLICEMAN?

A Policeman is the little boy who grew up to be what he said he was going to be.
He is a son, a brother, a father, and uncle and yes, even a grandfather. He is a man like all men, who has the same needs, the same desires and the same religious beliefs. A man who meets the requirements of the physically fit and who displays profound energy. He is an actor whose role is not one of fiction, but of reality.

He is a protector of the people, a pal to all children, a pacifier in time of sorrow. A professor of psychology. A parent to the homeless and the lost. A pleasant man who smiles through many trying situations. A prosperous man, who derives prosperity from the satisfaction of doing what he wants to do most.

He is an officer and official of the law, with out whom neither you nor I could live in peace and harmony, and without whom our very nation would crumble. Yet an ordinary man, who displays extraordinary bravery… who far too often sticks his neck out to save ours.
He’s sometime a lawyer, always a defender, but never a prosecutor.

His integrity is as much a tangible part of him as the shiny badge he wears. He’s a twenty-four hour watchman, whose aim, like his creed, is to protect and to serve.

Courage is his number one requisite and courtesy an every day part of his being and even though his courtesy isn’t always reciprocated, he remains courteous both out of duty and out of respect.

He’s a dedicated man, ready for action even beyond the call of duty, who so often performs the duties of a doctor, delivering a child under adverse conditions, rushing mother and child to a hospital at record breaking speed, and awaits his only reward… the report that mother and child are doing fine.

He’s the guy who ushers and controls at a parade, so that our wide eyed youngsters can enjoy the clowns, the animals and the marching bands. Dedicated enough to give up Sundays and holidays with his family, so that our families can enjoy Sundays and Holidays.

Yes, a policeman is that friendly guy standing on the corner in all kinds of weather, waving us on with his white gloved hand, assuring us that it’s save to proceed.

A Policeman deserves the same devotion he displays toward his fellow man. He deserves respect and a kind word for his many heroic accomplishments, A Policeman deserves a day in fact named in his honor… and everyday of our lives we should all thank God for that little boy who grew up to be what he said he was going to be… a Policeman!
By Eve Barber

OFFICER DOWN. CHARLES CASSIDY. PHILADELPHIA PD

DONATIONS CAN BE MADE TO

The Charles Cassidy Family Memorial Trust Fund
901 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

I have two blog friends that are Philly Police Officers and my heart, thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Cassidy, his family as well as Rain, Wyatt, and the rest of the Philadelphia Police Department.
Rain and Wyatt have written about the incident in which Officer Cassidy was gunned down by a POS Thug while on patrol working to keep Philadelphia safe.

Rain

Wyatt Earp

Officer Down Memorial Page

IN MEMORY

Last week we lost a great guy. He was a retired "old school" Irish beat cop. He was witty, and nothing or no one was off limits with his sarcastic one liners. He told it like it was, not how he (or you) wanted it to be, he had an opinion on every subject and was never afraid to share it with anyone who would listen. He wasone tough guy who was once named cop of the year .

He fought the city (and won) the right to REMAIN on the police force after the mandatory retirement age. At the very end of his career his health started to decline. He passed away last week.

He knew my parents very well and took me under his wing when I first got on the department. He would often give me advice and I learned an awful lot from him. I will miss him alot.

9/11/06 Five Years Later

Here it is the 5th anniversary of 9-11-2001. I actually woke up tense and uneasy today. A look out the front door and it is remarkably similar to "that day" with the cloudless blue sky and the crisp autumn air in New England.

Five years ago I was standing outside the north face of the police station shootin the shit and passing the time with another officer waiting for my midnight shift (1am-9am) to end. One of our Detectives walked by and told us about the first plane hitting WTC. By the time I got in my truck and turned the radio on the 2nd plane had hit. This was followed by news from Shanksville and the Pentagon.

The world got a bit colder and nothing would ever be quite the same again. It sucked, I was pissed, This was my generations Pearl Harbor and JFK in Dallas Tx. all rolled into one. However for me it still had not quite hit home.

One of the pilots was from Dracut Ma. however I did not personally know him or the family.I later found out that the officer I was talking to the morning of 9-11-2001 had an aunt who was terrified of flying but sucked it up and got on that plane in order to go to a wedding in California. She never made it to Ca. her and all the other souls that day took a detour into history.

Five years later, some very good things have happened to me, some very bad things have happened, There have been births and deaths, vacations, overtime, and custody battles.The only certain thing is that nothing is certain. Genuine happiness is fleeting so grab onto it when you can and drain every ounce of enjoyment from it, tell your friends you care about them and help somebody if you can.

Kind of like what you did in those early days after the attacks. I am sure you remember.

Lastly but deffinately not Least...

those terrorist bastards never did win, they wanted to crush the American spirit and convert everyone to Islam. Well sorry Charlie, I plan on going out today, grabbing a good ole fashioned American hotdog, washing it down with a beer, then visiting my mom, having some apple pie and catching a ballgame with my dad.