Never has the danger to police officers been greater, and never has the thin blue line been under such attack.
So where is the media?
This past weekend, Fox News @Night hosted a discussion about public support for the police and, in doing so, highlighted a group dedicated to wounded officers and their families.
Retired Las Vegas Police Detective Lt. Randy Sutton of TheWoundedBlue.com joined host Trace Gallagher to discuss the current state of affairs from law enforcement's perspective.
"Well, when it comes to America's crime crisis, something appears to be missing in society and in mainstream media, covering and honoring law enforcement officers who are wounded or killed in the line of duty," Gallagher began. "I want to know why it is that mainstream media, and that society, feels like, you know what, the war on police is not worth covering?"
"This news network is pretty much the only one that's giving the truth out about the war on cops. Last year, 207 police officers lost their lives in the line of duty. Almost sixty thousand were physically assaulted in the line of duty, Trace," Sutton responded. "They've been shot, they've been stabbed, they've been beaten. And yet, you don't even see it in the newspapers. It's barely covered because it's not politically expedient for the political Left and for the mainstream media to even cover."
Gallagher then drew attention to a graphic showing a mid-October statement from the National Fraternal Order of Police, @GLFOP, which read…
The spewing of anti-police rhetoric by some political and media figures as well as the failed policies of rogue prosecutors and judges, are placing our officers in greater danger. This culture of lawlessness must stop!
"A lot of people don't know when officers get injured, not only is the officer affected. But the family and a lot of things change," said Marcus Mason, San Bernardino Sheriff's Deputy, who was injured in the line of duty. "I spent about a month in the hospital, so my family had to drive to and from home, daycare, dropping off children, and doing different things to get people to work to get people to come see me and things like that. A lot of financial things are a burden put on your family. And so, The Wounded Blue was there to help my family in making those things easier. Whether it's paying for gas or the increase in groceries and things like that, and making things easier for my family to be able to come and spend time with me."
TheWoundedBlue.com's mission, as stated on the website, is to improve the lives of injured and disabled law enforcement officers. They place a strong focus on de-stigmatizing mental health within the law enforcement community, in addition to providing peer support and community outreach. Their emergency phone number - (702) 290-5611 - provides "immediate trust, validation, and confidentiality, which breaks down barriers when a person is in a vulnerable state."
Vickie Speed, whose brother-in-law was "executed in the line of duty," joined the panel to share part of her sister's recovery story after the violent episode.
"We got involved with Randy because he actually stepped in to help her with PTSD and trauma and I saw what he did," she said, noting that she also lost her husband to cancer. "Just losing my husband alone, I just had a real passion to give back and not just help widows, but I've actually run into law enforcement that's now retired, that's reaching out."
Gallagher pointed out that while the group's mission is crucial to families recovering from such tragedies, the real shame is that Wounded Blue is needed in the first place.
"My peer team, amazing people," Sutton said. "All of my peer team are officers who have been shot, stabbed, beaten, run over. And you know what, but I fully believe this, that the American people believe in their police and want to help. They want to have an avenue to help. And now we're giving them that avenue by supporting these wounded officers, by going to TheWoundedBlue.org and giving what they can, can make a difference. In fact, they might even save a life."
The question posed by Gallagher, although never definitively answered, is whether the mainstream corporate media will ever reflect the widely-held sentiment of most Americans. The feeling is that law enforcement should be applauded and supported, especially on the heels of a violent attack.
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