Earlier this week I
was working on writing something humorous. That all unexpectedly
changed a few minutes before six am on Friday morning when Jimmy, my
father in law, told me the terrible news about the tragic shootings in
Aurora, Colorado. After pouring a cup of hot coffee, I turned on the
news. The events of the previous evening reminded me of so many other
senseless crimes. I knew immediately this week's story would not be
funny.
As I watched the
news reports and I-phone video clips, I found my self feeling both sad
and angry. Sadness for the victims and their families and anger at the
suspect. Angry that in a few minutes our three boys who are eight,
eleven, and thirteen years old would walk out of their bedrooms rubbing
their sleep filled eyes and I would need to tell them about the
suspect's cowardly actions. I knew my challenge would be to explain why
families enjoying a movie just like we love to do ourselves, were the
victims of such random violence.
I recall wishing
there had been an off-duty police officer in the movie audience who
could have evened up the odds. Hearing the police radio transmissions
from the shooting scene began to rattle the hinges and knock the dust
off of the locked foot locker which holds my own personal memories of
evil people and their helpless victims. As I looked at the clock above
our stove, it seemed the minute hand was racing to the top of the hour
with each passing minute. I did not enjoy the thought of our children
loosing anymore of their innocence. Raising children is not easy or for
the faint of heart.
than most. As a rookie cop, I was ordered to guard a man who only hours
earlier had committed an atrocious crime against all the members of his
family. In the awkward stillness of the conference room there really
was nothing for us to say to each other. We just periodically caught
each others gaze.. That evening and countless occasions since, I have
looked and or spoken with people who have committed unspeakable crimes.
Unfortunately, evil people do not have a specific color of skin, style
of hair or a certain look in their eyes. You just don't know. You really
never know where evil lurks. A few years ago, a civilian reporter joined me on a ride-a-long. After we left a particularly vicious crime scene, she asked me if I believed the spirit of man was good or evil. I think I surprised her when I answered quickly, "overwhelmingly good". She had a surprised look on her face which was illuminated by the red colored lights from the radio and other emergency equipment on the dashboard of my patrol car. She then challenged me, "but you have been going to these scenes most of your career. How can you still believe people are generally good? I then told her a story.
It was my very first graveyard shift in Logan Heights in the turbulent eighties. I walked into the,
"line-up" room and there was only about five other
police officers and a sergeant assigned to work the entire area from
Harbor Drive to almost North Park. An area that included street names
names like Logan Ave, Market St., and Imperial Ave. I remember
thinking, "this is it"? No more cops? How are we ever going to keep us
and the thousands upon thousands of people in this poor neighborhood
safe for the next eight hours? I quickly found out the vast majority of
people are honest, non violent, caring people, who love their children
as much or more than we do. During those years, I did not get very many
five finger waives while on patrol, but I think most people respected
and appreciated police officers.
Being a cop or
citizen you need to look for good. We are constantly surrounded by good
if you just look for it. Just this week, an unknown woman who wished to
remain anonymous walked into our Community Hub and gave forty dollars in
cash towards a fund to help Scott replace his little dog killed last
week, (read story here). That is just a glance at the majority of people out there. Don't ever loose sight of that.
I won't let the
events of Colorado change my belief in the positive spirit of men or
women. Or stop our family from going to and enjoying movies, just as I
will not let terrorists dissuade us from ever flying. I think I will
likely remain both mad and sad for quite awhile. I will start by saying
a prayer for the victims and their families. Even though I will
preach how I will not outwardly change my actions or that of our family,
I also know for while watching a movie with our kids, I will be
glancing periodically at that exit door. That is such a shame.
Be sure to enjoy the goodness in people and your family. Our family hopes you are having a great summer.
To many of our
friends traveling oversees the next few weeks may your hotel rooms be
large, the beer cold, and the sunsets amazing.
Warmly,
Ray & Theresa Shay
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