In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15th as Peace Officers’ Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C., to participate in a number of planned events that honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice.
As a former police officer, I’ve had the honor of visiting the memorial a handful of times. The walls that surround the reflection pool are inscribed with the names of thousands of officers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Each visit seemed to be more impactful than the one prior. As a young officer, I felt compelled to bring something home that honored the legacy of all the heroes who had their names etched on the wall. However, like many things police officers face, it wasn’t that easy.
Many visible signs of support, such as “Thin Blue Line” flags, hats, vehicle decals, and rubber bracelets, make it easy for criminals and police haters to identify police officers and their families. Members of law-enforcement families make sacrifices daily, and the thought of adding additional stress and danger was something I couldn’t bring myself to do. Recently, the “Thin Blue Line” signs of support have come under scrutiny from some police administrations, as well as Black Lives Matter supporters. Wikipedia defines the “Thin Blue Line” as a term that typically refers to the concept of the police as the line that keeps society from descending into violent chaos. The “blue” in “Thin Blue Line” refers to the blue color of the uniforms of many police departments. Regardless of your opinion on the “Thin Blue Line,” it would be impossible to deny that symbolic items, including flags, have been used to memorialize fallen officers. Flying a “Thin Blue Line” flag honoring someone who died protecting society from the aforementioned chaos, in this writer’s eyes, is similar to displaying an American flag to honor those who died protecting our country.
According to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, from 1786-2020, 22,611 officers have died in the line of duty, in part protecting society from that violent chaos. Take a moment and think about everyone in your life. How many of them would be willing to die for a complete stranger? I know a few. However, a small percentage of individuals and groups have taken it upon themselves to display the flags we honor, despite the noisy few who spew hate and push their personal agenda. Part of that personal agenda is to keep us divided. When we cower or pander to the noisy few with personal agendas, it undermines the very Constitution that secures our rights.
In November 2020, the chief of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department banned use of the flag by officers while on duty on the grounds that the symbol had become associated with “extremists.” In a statement on January 15, 2021, Chief Kristen Roman said that extremists had “visibly co-opted the thin blue line flag.” Chief Roman, did you ever consider that through the course of time, some individuals have used our American Flag as a symbol of hate? And based on that history, someone could become so triggered that he or she could request the American Flag be removed from all University property. The point is we need to quit making the world about ourselves. If something makes you feel a certain way, please understand that may not have been its intended reaction. Whether it’s the American Flag (military), the Thin Blue Line (police), the Thin Gray Line (corrections), the Thin Yellow Line (dispatch), or the Thin Red Line (firefighters), I will always honor and acknowledge those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
— Steve Magnum
Steve Magnum is a pseudonym for a retired police officer who asks to remain anonymous due to employment and safety concerns.