For the past 18 years of my life, I've taken some very important people with a very important job for granted. I've seen them as just regular people when I should be seeing them as heroes. Because that is exactly what they are...heroes.
They wear blue uniforms.
They drive around cars with lights that make noise.
They patrol our towns.
They risk their lives to help protect us.
They're our law enforcement officers.
But in the past week, I've come to a new realization that our cities would be very different places without the sacrifices that police officers make in order to keep us safe.
Unfortunately, this lesson was taught to me by means of a very tragic situation that happened in my hometown of Greenville, South Carolina, a little over a week ago.
On Friday, March 18, 2016, Officer Allen Jacobs was shot and killed while doing his job. He was doing his job in keeping us safe by questioning a young man, 17 years old, in the community about a gun. The young man questioned was a known gang member and this was simply Jacobs' effort to ensure the safety of the community. The suspect then shot Officer Jacobs before turning the gun on himself, leaving both men involved dead.
I know there are more details that I haven't included and I am sure there are more details that haven't been told and I'm sure there are things that may never be known about the incident. But the details, while important, aren't necessarily the most important part of this story.
The important part of this story is that Allen Jacobs was a police officer who had the job of protecting and serving the people of Greenville...The job of protecting and serving all people in Greenville.
Jacobs was the father of two young boys, and his wife is expecting a baby girl to be born this summer. Jacobs put his heart and soul into his work. He cared deeply about the well-being and safety of others, shown by his service not only in law enforcement, but in the United States Army as well.
Of course I did not know Jacobs personally, but I can only imagine that he touched the lives of everyone he came in contact with and made the world a better place just by being in it.
The entire upstate of South Carolina, as well as individuals and police officers from other cities around the country have rallied around the Jacobs family. A GoFundMe page has been set up that has raised over $160,000 for the family. Thousands of police officers from near and far came to honor and remember Jacobs as he was laid to rest this past Thursday.
This was a man who did not deserve to die. No one deserves to die doing their job. Just as a teacher doesn't deserve to be killed in her classroom, or a chef doesn't deserve to be killed in his restaurant, or a doctor doesn't deserve to be killed in a hospital, a police officer doesn't deserve to be killed in the line of duty.
But the reality of the world that we live in is that this happens. We live in an extremely broken world, full of hate, tension, prejudice, and anger.
I could not imagine being the wife of this fallen officer. I couldn't imagine being his two young sons. I can't imagine being his daughter, who will one day ask the question, "Where is my daddy?" and will have to learn of this horrible tragedy.
But yet again, I also couldn't image being the family of the young man who turned the gun on himself. No one deserves to lose their son to crime either. Seventeen years old is way too young for someone's life to end. For this reason, I'm glad that programs are in place in our community to help with crime-related issues and that investments are being made in these individuals so that they can become the men and women that God created them to be.
I'm extremely thankful for the men and women who choose to enter in to what has become such a dangerous line of work these days. I'm thankful that I don't have to worry about my safety because these men and women are doing everything they can to protect me. I'm thankful for these men and women who sometimes, as Jacobs, end up making the ultimate sacrifice in the name of the safety of the community. I'm also thankful for these officers who have invested time in members of the community who may be at risk of falling through the cracks and falling into the wrong crowd. I'm thankful for the programs they are involved in to invest in the lives of members of the community and show them that crime is not the answer. I'm thankful for the officers who leave their families each day to go to work, not knowing if they'll return home to tuck their kids or or kiss their wife goodnight one more time.
I'm thankful for my community and the love and support that has been shown in this tragedy. I hope that everyone comes to the same realization that I have recently come to of how important our law enforcement officers are in protecting all of us.
To Officer Jacobs, and to all of our law enforcement officers everywhere, in Greenville and beyond, thank you.
Next time you see a police officer, be sure to tell them thank you. I am almost certain that they don't hear those words enough.
"Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
