Enough

   This morning I had a full on panic attack.  Facebook was full of the usual nasty and petty political posts, many of which are manufactured and fueled by hate and the need for ratings, no matter who it hurts or if it is even true of not.  I've gotten used to them and quite frankly, don't believe much of what the mainstream media is selling anymore.  They were not the reason for my panic attack, it was something far more devastating that hits way to close to home.

   Another brave police officer was gunned down in cold blood and killed while doing a routine traffic stop in Montana early this morning.  He had called in a description of the car along with it's license plate while making the stop and then was not heard from again.  Another officer went to check on him when they could not raise him on the radio and found him.  That officer immediately called what happened in and the car was stopped with the passenger fleeing the car while shooting at other officers.  He was captured and both he and the driver are now in jail.  My personal feelings are that the murderer should get the death penalty!

   Before this brave officer started his shift I am sure he had no idea that this would be the last time he would ever see his beautiful family.  I'm sure he thought it would just be another routine night patrolling and had no idea what lay ahead of him. His wife and children had no idea either and went to sleep thinking they would see their husband and father in the morning.  Then came that awful knock on the door, with the devastating news that would turn their world upside down.  A wife is left a widow with 3 children to raise on her own.  She will never know the feeling of being held by her husband or share a kiss with him again.  She will go through life wanting to share all those special moments of their children with him and he will not be there.  Those kids will never hear their father say "I love you", "I'm proud of you" or "I'm here for you" ever again.  This officer's parents will have to bury their son.  As the mother of two law enforcement officers, this just sent me over the edge.

   As we, the families of these brave men and women, go through life each day, we appear normal and happy, but there is always that fear in the back of our minds.  When the phone rings late at night, our hearts drop if our son or daughter is on duty.  I think about my Heather and my grandsons Bradley and Isaiah and about how many times Bradley has cried as his daddy headed to work because Bradley was afraid he would get hurt.  I think about my son Josh, who's job puts him in danger around the world at all times.  I try to hold it together when I hear or read about these stories, knowing that our family could get that fateful call or visit at any time.  Today, I was not able to hold it together. 

   Please hold this fallen officer's family and his fellow brothers and sisters in blue in your thoughts and prayers.  When will there be enough of these killings.  When will we, as Americans, get tough on these criminals and make it so they are not in and out of jail constantly so they can hurt and kill others?  It has to stop...Enough already!