By Congressman Markwayne Mullin
The men and women of law enforcement dedicate their entire careers to serving their community. Each day, there are countless police officers, sheriffs, marshals, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol officers across our state with one shared goal: keeping Oklahomans safe from harm. Law enforcement officials sacrifice time with their families and friends day-in-and-day-out to dutifully fulfill their role to keep peace among members of their community.
In recent years, many law enforcement officers have shouldered the consequences of a split-second decision in a media-driven world that watches closely and forgives rarely. Every move made by law enforcement is scrutinized, often on the national stage. Yet, these dedicated officers continue to be the loyal caretakers of our neighborhoods in our time of need.
America is a nation of laws. In order to ‘establish Justice, [and] insure domestic Tranquility,’ just as our Founding Fathers envisioned, we must enlist a group of people to dutifully uphold our laws. To many, this seems an impossible and certainly unforgiving job. However, law enforcement officials willingly pledge their lives to maintaining peace in communities and working with the judicial branch to restore justice under the law.
From time to time, we may get frustrated with law enforcement because we parked in the wrong place or drove a little too fast. But they are the first ones we look to in our most desperate hours. If you ever experienced a terrible wreck or a home invasion, you know the sense of relief and security felt when they arrive on the scene. They play a key role in our government as the enforcers of the law. Most importantly, all law enforcement officers have families, just like we do. The difference is that they are willing to put their lives on the line for ours—24 hours a day, 7 days a week—to make sure we get home to our families, before they get home to theirs.
After all, Jesus taught us: ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ Our law enforcement officials are the peacemakers of our communities and I, for one, am grateful for the peace they uphold in all of our lives.
