BRATTLEBORO — A Thanksgiving tribute to our brave and dedicated Brattleboro police officers:
When you are hurtling into the night, heart pounding, to answer a 911 call; when you are protecting a woman from being battered; when you are directing traffic around an accident on a cold, rainy day on a crazy-busy road; when you are valiantly putting yourself at risk to make our community safer: We see you.
When you would rather be home with your loved ones than making the 13th visit to the same house to stop the same kids from shooting up; when a firestorm of racial pain erupts in Ferguson and you grapple with how your job of honor became associated with hate and shame: We see you.
When we anonymous strangers, seemingly uncaring, who speed by or hold up traffic to stare in horror at a crumpled car or hear you knock on the neighbor's door to investigate abuse: We see you.
When the siren yelps and the blue lights flash through our living room windows as you race past to respond to a call, we who are safely tucked into our homes: We see you.
We see you. We feel grateful for your presence in our neighborhoods. We admire how hard you work. We care about your safety and well-being. We appreciate your putting yourself on the line, every day, no matter your personal discomfort. We honor how you tirelessly show up for both the dramatic and the mundane.
The next time you are hurtling into the night, heart pounding, to answer an emergency call? The next time you feel alone and unappreciated as you direct an endless line of cars around a pileup in a blizzard?
Know that we see you.
We hold you in our hearts, while you hold us with courage and dedication.
We pray to God that you are safe and protected, as you follow through with your pledge to serve and protect.
Thank you, thank you for your caring and your service, and may you have a very blessed, safe, and peaceful holiday season, be it on the road or with your loved ones.