Law Enforcement Officers Can Have Fun, Too

My five-year-old son dances with "Ron Burgandy" at a Halloween party last weekend.

I attended a 50th Birthday/Halloween costume party in Des Moines, IA last weekend, which was held for my brother-in-law. He has been a law enforcement officer for well over 20 years. In the link below, I posted a brief two-minute video of him (in the dinosaur costume) having a dance-off with "Marilyn Monroe", who is his brother-in-law, a fellow law enforcement officer. Keep in mind that the beer was flowing freely that night!

Just a few days after this party, two of their fellow officers were shot and killed by a disturbed soul. This recent wave of violence against our peace officers is so incredibly sad. These men and women in uniform are husbands, wives, fathers, mothers,-- even brothers-in-law.

They know how to work, and how to have fun. They think about coming home to their kids and families at the end of their shift. They think about holiday gatherings with family, fishing trips on the weekends, events at their kids' schools and their churches. They are good people, and the violence against them is such a tragedy.

In general, law enforcement officers are good human beings who should be respected and appreciated, not targeted. I know some bad apples do get on the force who use their power to belittle others, but those cases are rare. Let's give these uniformed men and women some respect.