National Police Week + Book Talk + Discovered Online

Plus some hope for the future

For many of us, time is a precious commodity. That you choose to spend a portion of your day reading my stuff fills me with gratitude. Thank you!

With that out of the way . . .

What Are Your Plans for National Police Week This Year?

Concerned citizens have asked me how they can support police officers. To any cops reading this, know that there are people who really do care. : )

I know what it feels like to want to help but not know where to start. Here are some vetted ideas for you to consider.

Host a Party

This is the time of year when we’d prepare to host our annual Madison PD (Wisconsin) appreciation party, usually held in conjunction with National Police Week in May.

Gosh, I miss hosting these events. Although they were a heck of a lot of work (I started planning in January), seeing the genuine goodwill generated between law enforcement and community members made it worth the effort.

My wish is for every police officer to experience this positivity, especially now, when they need it more than ever.

Have you considered throwing a party for your police department?

We held ours at the various police districts (which we decorated) and catered in food donated by local businesses. We’re talking buffet tables filled with freshly-grilled brats, pizza, pastas, salads, appetizers, and desserts. We played background music to add ambience and scheduled the police horses, K9s, and our beloved retired Chief Mike Koval to appear. The crowd loved it!

You probably won’t have enough time to throw an elaborate bash for this year’s National Police Week, which is scheduled Sunday, May 14th through Saturday, 20th. There is however, another option: send Save the Date invitations to your local PD during National Police Week, then hold the event later in the year. Be sure to get permission to hold the party first. : )

With the weather warming up, it’s the perfect time to celebrate our guardians.

Lobby Your Elected Representatives

Any private citizen can lobby an elected official. In fact, it’s our birthright as Americans and free-thinking human beings.

Simply call or email your representatives and politely request a meeting. Then come prepared with talking points and details to argue your case.

Two topics to consider discussing:

• Urge your U.S. representative to sign on as a co-sponsor of the Protect & Serve Act of 2023 if they haven’t already signed on. The bill, currently in the U.S. House, has 57 co-sponsors. You can check here to see if your representative is one of them.
  

• On a similar note, urge your state representatives to draft a bill that deters violence towards police officers.
  
  You can reference Florida’s Combatting Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act, which Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law in 2021.
  
  Earlier this year, I met with a Wisconsin state representative to discuss moving forward a similar bill in our state. He and his staffer were quite receptive (in fact, he’s a retired police chief!), and even proposed it to his colleagues. For now, however, it’s on hold. Politics . . . you know how that goes.

Use Your First Amendment Right

Consider writing a letter to the editors of both local and national publications. Not sure what to write about? Here are some ideas.

• The significance of National Police Week and the essential roles police officers play in our communities.
  

• The true meaning of the thin blue line (which is getting thinner by the day).
  

• The marked increase in ambush-style attacks on police officers.
  

• Zealous indictments of police officers (as civilian offenders are given a pass).
  

• An open letter to your elected officials urging them to support pro-police legislation.
  

• A rebuttal to an inaccurate article critical of police officers. Cops have few people in their arena. Consider being their voice.

Find additional ideas on how to honor police officers during National Police Week, and every week.

I’m also available to answer questions or offer suggestions if you need help. Don’t be shy about reaching out. : )

What I’m Doing This National Police Week

Although I don’t throw Madison PD appreciation parties anymore, National Police Week is still a big deal for me. In fact, I’ve been hard at work creating a presentation for my independent women’s organization.

The taping, which is scheduled for mid-May will include a Powerpoint presentation, followed up by a discussion with two veteran police experts who are master communicators and unapologetically pro-cop. I’m also creating an information piece that will be available for download.

Thousands of independent-minded women from across the county will have access to this presentation. My goal is to help make them aware of how the war on cops harms women - and more importantly, how we can change the destructive trajectory.

I’m hoping to make this presentation available to you, as well. )

Recently Discovered Online

A Chief with the Courage of His Convictions

This past week, Chris Bailey, assistant chief of the Indianapolis Metro Police Department showed the nation what it means to be a courageous leader.

You can watch the video here, via Twitter.

And I completely agree with Team South Florida when they say:

“Well said @IMPDnews Assistant Chief Christopher Bailey. The truth is troops need more of this and A LOT more internal support from leadership.”

Can we get more of this, please?

Hope for the Future

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal about the surge in young people drawn to faith is one of the more hopeful things I’ve read lately.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Young adults, theologians and church leaders attribute the increase in part to the need for people to believe in something beyond themselves after three years of loss. 

For many young people, the pandemic was the first crisis they faced. It affected everyone to some degree, from the loss of family and friends to uncertainty about jobs and daily life. In many ways, it aged young Americans and they are now turning to the same comfort previous generations have turned to during tragedies for healing and comfort.”

Faith has historically been one of the foundations our nation has relied on, especially during challenging periods. That it’s making a comeback shows me that people are looking for more meaning and order in their lives. Trappings like excessive wealth, status level, or stardom, can’t compensate for an empty life.

Another Piece of the Puzzle

The dystopia our nation is experiencing is like a giant puzzle. One important piece of this puzzle -and the piece I’m personally focused on- is the war on cops. There are, however, other pieces that are impacting our lives - and I believe it’s important to understand how they’re all connected.

One of these other pieces is the unfettered merging of big business with government.

Let me start by saying that I love capitalism. A free market facilitates invention, ideas, and entrepreneurship; and it allows for personal choice. I can decide, with my hard-earned money, whether or not to patronize a business. It’s called freedom.

I subscribe to economist Milton Friedman’s philosophy, in that while businesses have a fiduciary obligation to their shareholders (profit is not a dirty word) they also should do no harm in creating their profits. It’s why to this day there are certain companies I won’t patronize, and whose smug moral pretenses while simultaneously profiting on the backs of others, offends my sensibilities.

What we’re seeing now occur in corporate America is something quite different from the capitalism of recent decades. It now has more to do with control, power, and manipulation than with choice or freedom.

To help me better understand the transition of corporations from creators and profit-makers to virtue signalers, I picked up Capital Punishment by Vivek Ramaswamy. His book does a deep dive into the very real ways that Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) is threatening our economy, government, and way of life.

Some excerpts:

“…there’s no reason to think that any of this stuff is really about maximizing your investment returns; it’s just an extensive apparatus to eliminate political dissent from the global marketplace.”

Then this:

“This is what the modern battle to rule the world looks like. It’s fought not with bullets but with acronyms. One way to steal from people is to distract them from what you’re doing.”

Highly recommended book.

Would love to know your thoughts on any of this. Please stay safe. : )

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For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.