An ode to appreciation
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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.

If we all tried and did something good each day
we would then help to keep so much evil at bay.
And in the world there would be a lot less crime
and so people would not have to do penalty time.

The same can be said about the telling of lies
that are deceptive which most people despise.
Because no one really likes to know they've been deceived
especially after being told something false that is believed.

This raises those related issues of virtue and vice
or conduct of what is or isn't regarded to be nice.
The laws of the state are to be followed as a guide
by all the people who are by them otherwise tried.

If found to have transgressed in a particular way
that did not conform to a specific law of the day.
There's usually someone about who sounds the alarm
when a member of society is suspected of doing harm.

And when the offender is apprehended and brought to trial
they have to plead their case before a judge without a smile.
If the evidence against them is too strong to acquit them of the charge
they'll have to pay the penalty imposed or forfeit their freedom at large.

This may be a fine to be paid or period spent confined behind bars
where the person convicted is placed and from society kept afar.
But if they're acquitted of the charge in court and allowed to go free
they'll be satisfied with the justice system which tried and let them be.

This is sometimes the situation regardless of the suspect being really guilty or innocent
and doesn't praise or say much of the law when the verdict handed down is too lenient.
That is why when worldly human justice falls short or doesn’t rightly prevail
what's known as Divine justice will eventually step in and recompense entail.
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What can go wrong,
Will go wrong;
That is what Murphy said.
So if I can be strong,
I will be strong,
Rather than be dead.