"Why the Blue Line is so Thin"

[jks9199]

This was published in a Chattanooga, TN newspaper following the LODD of Sergeant James Timothy "Tim" Chapin. I'm posting it here and also in The Study for discussion.

[FONT="Verdana,][SIZE="3"]Why The Blue Line Is So Thin[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]posted April 6, 2011[/FONT]

“Sunshine go away today, I just don’t feel like dancin’…” (“Sunshine” by Jonathan Edwards)

Today, the flags are at half-mast, the faces are somber, and your police officers grieve. Tomorrow, the bagpipes will play, the community will weep, and a “thin blue line” of police officers will bury a brother. The sound of “Taps” and the hollow echo of the caisson as it rolls toward the cemetery will forever be etched in our memories. But, just what is this “blue line”, and why is it so thin? What makes the profession of law enforcement different from any other? Why are we not dancing on a sunny day like today?


“And I said to myself, ‘This is the business we’ve chosen’.” (Hyman Roth to Michael Corleone in The Godfather II)

We must first look at the profession, itself, for an answer. Before we chose the calling (or it chose us) of law enforcement, many of us were accountants, teachers, engineers, repairmen, salesmen, soldiers, students, athletes, preachers, drivers, clerks, medical professionals, eagle scouts, IT, etc… Instead of pursuing these other ventures, we made the conscious choice to serve our community through the God-given profession of law enforcement (Romans 13), and all that it entails.
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Even when we lose the public support of our community, we know that we will receive strength and encouragement from fellow officers. Sometimes, our own families will not support us, because they do not understand the long hours, cold dinners, and alienation that can result from us doing our jobs so well. This is the only job that one could do by the book and still get sued, complained on, assaulted, or even, killed. This fact creates a bond between us that is not readily understood by those outside.

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Sgt. Jim DePrimo #781
Chattanooga Police Department

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