An ode to appreciation
______________
Each day, our men and women in law enforcement gear up.
They prepare for the day ahead
But how can they know
What the day might bring?
And as they get ready for their day,
They must mentally prepare for the emotional warfare they will once again face.
They prepare to say that final goodbye to their families, should the day turn into their last.
Each officer faces these fears.
They face death, harm, disrespect, and threats, but yet they keep coming back.
On the news, we only see the negative side of law enforcement,
And yet, we do not acknowledge the good things officers do for us citizens every day.
Appreciation has turned to become socially unacceptable.
Is it just me that see’s something wrong here?
They gear up for us.
For our country.
For our people.
For our families.
They train for disasters, for tragedies.
They were there for 9/11
They did what they had to do.
We thanked them then.
But where are we now?
Where do our respects lie?
They give their life, they give their time
But yet, they are not recognized for giving their lives.
Recently, my family visited the Aurora Police Department’s memorial for the officers that had fallen in the line of duty.
The area was empty.
No one was there.
It was like I could hear their voices in the wind.
Like the feeling of an unexpected guest.
I felt as if it was my duty as a citizen to read their story, which had been put on the wall with honor.
I wish I could personally thank all the men and women who had given their lives for our country.
I wish I could convey my gratitude.
But the truth is, they’ve past on.
And the sad part is, people have forgotten their names.
True, its hard to account for every single person in Colorado who had given their lives,
But was there even any attempt from us citizens?
Did you know that approximately 270 officers have fallen in the line of duty in Colorado alone?
69 of those 270 officers were from our very own Denver.
That leaves 201 other officers from various parts of Colorado.
Denver’s fallen officers have contributed approximately 25% of fallen officers in Colorado.
  Most names of Denver’s fallen officers will not be recognized.
But, I feel I should thank them anyway.
Thank you, Celena Hollis.
Thank you, David Roberts.
Thank you, Donald Young.
Thank you Dennis Licata.
These four gave their lives to Denver citizens in the last decade.
These four heroes gave their life so we could feel safe at night.
So we could live in peace, and in happiness
If it is a crime to be grateful,
Then call me guilty.  
These people are not just ordinary.
They gave their lives for you and me.
They sacrificed their life, for us to see
That we matter.
I don’t believe they do their job for the paycheck,
I believe they do it so our town does not become a wreck.
More and more, disrespect becomes common.
And somehow, more and more officers fall.
More officers don’t live to tell the story.
That’s heartbreaking.
Call me delusional.
But I believe in change
Because
Appreciation can go a long way.
This generation is losing respect.
It’s losing morality.
But it can all change.
It can change before our generation crashes.
It must change.
Please take these words and make something out of them.
Please make these words hold meaning.
I can’t be the only one to want these people to live.
To come home another day.
Thank you, to the men and women in service who may be here today.
Thank you to the military, To law enforcement, To medical EMTs, To our firefighters,
And to everyone here who cares about the wellbeing of this country.
Thank you.