Throughout history there are examples of how something fantastic and wonderful has been co-opted to represent something… well… not so fantastic; sometimes often outright evil. Virtually every religion has had their holy book used to justify cruelty and violence. Every symbol of independence and freedom from tyranny has been used as the banner for criminal behavior. But does that mean those holy books are wrong or somehow inherently evil? No. Does it mean that those symbols don’t still represent freedom and independence? No. What it means is that someone with evil or wrongness in their heart chose to rationalize their behavior by twisting something good.
The Thin Blue Line is more than just a phrase; it’s more than just a symbol. The Thin Blue Line is a family in a way that many can’t understand, and because they can’t understand – or are jealous or envious – they choose to attack and belittle it. I have been a proud member of the Thin Blue Line all of my adult life – going on forty years now. Like every family, we have those members we wonder about sometimes; those we have to just shake our heads at when they’re silly; those we have to take aside and have a word with to help them understand why something they said or did might not have been the smartest thing to do. And yes, on some rare occasions, we have to tell that family member, “Sorry. You’re no longer family. We reject you. You have betrayed us and we can no longer stand by you.”
Thankfully that doesn’t happen very often. Thankfully, The Thin Blue Line family can stand strong together, proud of the duty we perform, the sacrifices we make and the values we hold dear. Every one of us has taken an oath to uphold, obey and defend the Constitution of the United States and the laws of our states, county and city. Beyond the Constitution and all of those laws, we are also true to the Personnel Laws of our jurisdiction, the General Orders of our agency and every Special Operating Procedure that is published by our chain of command. Even more, beyond that, we are true to each other. I’d far rather have been called into my supervisor’s office to receive a written reprimand for having screwed up something instead of being called in and being told, “You disappointed me and you embarrassed the agency.”
The Thin Blue Line family is made up of members from every culture, every race, every religion, every sexual orientation and ages spanning from 18 to 70+. It is, hands down, one of the most inclusive families you’ll find anywhere on the planet. The outlook is simple: it’s a family you have to volunteer to join; you make the request and the family decides whether or not you’re worthy at the most basic level. If the family invites you in, you get educated and tested and have to prove your worth – not just to the family but to the community you intend to serve. You have to demonstrate that you are willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the citizens you take an oath to protect and serve. Once you finish the basic training (so to speak) you go out and work the street with your Field Training Officer (that big brother or sister who shows you how to do the job right and not upset the chain of command). If you finally pass all of the tests and training you become a full fledged member of the family.
Along the way, you will have fought and bled beside other members of the family. You will have learned who you can depend on and who will back you up even in the face of greater odds and almost certain discomfort. You’ll eat meals with The Thin Blue Line on holidays when you can’t be with your other family. You’ll drink coffee at three in the morning when you’re trying to stay awake because crime doesn’t sleep and it strikes when you least expect it. You’ll laugh at each other, cry with each other, and support each other through some of life’s most challenging changes.
Yes, The Thin Blue Line is far more than a phrase or colored stripe on a flag; it represents a family that, unless you’ve been a member of it, you’ll never truly understand. And if you want to feel what it’s like, deep in your gut, go visit the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. during Police Week. Take a look around. Look at the names on the wall. See the list of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Yes, some gave their life to protect other family members but the greatest number… the largest majority of those fallen officers gave their lives protecting citizens they had never met but who they took an oath to protect and then gave their lives in the process of doing so.
If you can understand all that, then I ask you this: Why in the heck would a Police Chief prohibit the officers on their agency from using The Thin Blue Line in any form?
In this article, we learn that Police Chief Kristen Roman of the University of Wisconsin-Madison banned officers of her agency from using thin blue line imagery while acting in an official capacity. “Official capacity” as what? Police officers. To me, this is like the President of the United States prohibiting American citizens from flying the American flag, or even worse, prohibiting members of the military from wearing or flying the American flag.
In that article we find out that the Chief’s justification for such action is because “the flag has been ‘co-opted’ by extremists with ‘hateful ideologies'." Chief Roman said her agency needs to distance itself from thin blue line imagery to build trust with the community.
Here’s any idea – how about instead of distancing your officers from The Thin Blue Line, you educate and build relationships with your community? How about you have a couple thousand hook-n-loop patches with The Thin Blue Line flag on them and UW-Madison across the bottom made and hand them out to every citizen you want to seek support from? How about if you get so many GOOD people who appreciate and support your agency wearing and displaying The Thin Blue Line flag that it can’t possibly be seen as something negative? How about if you LEAD instead of pandering to some political hack outlook that will demoralize your agency?
Chief Roman said she might make exceptions for certain events like funerals for officers who have died in the line of duty. MIGHT? Chief Roman’s actions and directives are in response to “student activists” who denounced the use of the flag and called for its removal from campus. Those SAME student activists will call on The Thin Blue Line if they are ever the victim of a crime. Those “student activists” say that The Thin Blue Line is a symbol of white supremacy and antithetical to Black Lives Matter.
I have one message for every Chief of Police on every campus police department across our nation: You work on a campus. You lead a police agency. You have a duty not only to protect and serve but to lead FROM THE FRONT. Embrace your position on a campus and take that special opportunity to educate the younger generation. Instead of folding to the demands of people with very little life’s experience and likely zero experience wearing a uniform or badge, try standing in front of them and explaining what the true meaning of The Thin Blue Line is. If you’re not sure, go back to the top of this article and start reading again.
The Thin Blue Line has NOTHING to do with white supremacy. It is easy to find a plethora of examples in history when The Thin Blue Line investigated, arrested and prosecuted those who committed crimes under the justification of white supremacy. The Thin Blue Line is NOT against Black Lives Matter and if you want proof, look at the black officers on your agency and try to figure out why THEY embrace The Thin Blue Line. They are part of it; welcomed by it; embraced by it; part of THE FAMILY. The color of their skin doesn’t matter but their life does.
Chief Roman was right about a couple of things she said in her statement though. Her decision does cause emotional responses and even anger from some. The issue is definitely complicated. The duty of The Thin Blue Line to serve a community does come before our affinity for a given symbol. We do all belong to a profession that demands service above self. In the end… a better way has to be found. Prohibiting the display of The Thin Blue Line symbolism is akin to denying your family; turning your back on those you love. All of us can properly, morally, ethically and lovingly serve our communities without betraying our family.
It's my hope that Chief Roman finds a way to balance out her response to the students without betraying her officers. Her heart is in the right place and I’m glad I don’t have to pull off that juggling routine, but in the end I believe education is always better than legislation. On her agency, her directives are legislation. Now is the time to educate the community her officers serve. It’s time to reach out to them and explain what’s real rather than what generates ad revenue for the mainstream media. It’s time to encourage EVERY student to wear The Thin Blue Line in support of and appreciation for the officers of that agency.
