Dear Editor,

In addition to praying for our country at the July 2nd “God & Country” concert, we had a special emphasis on our officers in Law Enforcement. These brave ‘men in blue’ often walk the beat in a war zone.

Daily they deal with drugs, dangers, and death! And seldom are they recognized for their dedication in doing their duty to protect us. These ‘hometown heroes’ should be appreciated by us; teach our kids to respect these officers as role models instead of those ‘pretend heroes’ that Hollywood promotes.

Following is a poem from the Police Hall of Fame in D.C. Each year Kristin Slade, granddaughter of Chief Harold Kennedy, who served the village of New Richmond for almost 40 years, reads this at our concert to honor his memory and all Law Enforcement.

“A Part of America Died”

Somebody killed a policeman today

And a part of America died;

A piece of our country he swore to protect

Will be buried with him at his side;

The suspect who shot him will stand up in court

With counsel demanding his rights,

While a young widow must work for his kids,

And spend many long, lonely nights;

The beat that he walked was a battlefield

Just as though he’d gone off to war;

The flag of our nation wont fly at half mast

But to his name they will add a gold star;

Yep, somebody killed a policeman today

Either in your hometown or mine;

While we slept behind our locked doors

A cop put his life on the line;

Now his spirit walks a dark city street

And he stands by each new rookie’s side;

He answered the call, of himself gave his all

And a part of America died.

Pray for our beloved nation, our police, our people! Like the Marines, we only need a ‘few good people’ to win this war!

Libbie Bennett, Chair
Clermont Cty. Task Force
National Day of Prayer