They commit their lives to protecting our freedom every day.

They never stop working to take those who want to infringe on our right to live peacefully and safely off the streets.

These are our Law Enforcement Officers.  They are real freedom fighters in blue.

Just because our nation is ‘free’ doesn’t mean that we are free to do whatever we want.  There are laws and guidelines set up which we all need to follow to avoid restricting each other’s rights.  Without these laws, each of would be infringing on other people’s rights.  So the laws restrict us in order to free us to live comfortably and safely with each other in community.

Those of us who follow the laws are helping others live in peace and security.  Those who break the laws are creating dangerous and unsafe situations that infringe on other people’s rights.  My son, David Glasser, knew this and it was one of the major motivating factors for him choosing to become a Phoenix Police Officer.  He wanted to take the dangerous people off of the streets and put them behind bars.

Sure – some laws aren’t good.  Our country has a process in place to change bad laws.

Sure – some of the people making the laws aren’t good.  Our country has an election process so those people can be voted out.

Sure – some of the people enforcing the laws aren’t good.  There are so many checks and magnifying lens on them that the amount of people in this category is very small.  Currently, our nation’s law enforcement agencies are so under funded and understaffed, they cannot do their jobs like they should be done. This deficit is making our streets and communities more and more dangerous. If you read, ‘crime has gone down’ in any of our major cities, that is a lie. The number of crimes recorded may have gone down but the crime is still happening and growing. Criminals just aren’t getting caught and put in jail because of the extreme understaffing of our law enforcement agencies. Criminals are out on our streets creating more mayhem.

Many city and state governments need to make significant changes so  our Freedom Fighters have what they need to protect and serve our communities.

For us to live freely, our Freedom fighters need our support – you and I.  We need to vote people into office who support Law Enforcement.  We need to take advantage of every opportunity we have to show respect and support for our Law Enforcement Officers.

I’m very proud of the people in the City of Phoenix – the regular people on the streets get it.  The city-wide support we received when Davey was killed in the line of duty last year was phenomenal.  I will never forget our ride from the church to the cemetery on the day of his funeral – hundreds of people with signs and salutes lined the streets.  Cars and people were lined up next to the freeway, on the freeway and over the freeway showing respect and support for a hero who died fighting for their freedom.  Unbelievable!

We have also received an awesome level of support from the Phoenix Metro Police Department.  From the moment Davey was shot until today, we have received a constant, amazing amount of love and help from our Blue Family.  Thank you!

We have also received great support as we continue Davey’s legacy with the David Glasser Foundation.  Individuals and companies have been very generous with their time and resources.  These people are not out on the streets creating mayhem by demonstrating against anything.  They are using their hands and their hearts and their resources to make a positive difference in our city.

All of us have a role in making sure we have a safe and free city to live in.  First, we need to follow the laws ourselves and next, we need to support those who work hard every day to enforce the law and protect our rights.  Together, we can make our country a better place to live and to raise our children and grandchildren.

Thank you to all of our Freedom Fighters in Blue and to those who support them.

Miss you, Davey.

Love you💙

for the long haul.

And – believe me – I never understood how long the long haul was before my son, David Glasser, a Phoenix Police Officer was killed in the line of duty on May 18, 2016.

The long haul is not just long.  It’s hard.  It’s really painful.  It can be confusing.  It can feel like punishment for something – not sure what.  It can feel lonely…and endless…..and just not worth it.

But feelings change with the moment.  Feelings fluctuate in a second.  If I let my feelings guide me, one moment I’m down, what’s the use of all of this and then the next moment I’m smiling because I thinking of my family and the 4 precious grandchildren who light up my life. Emotional roller-coasters are no fun so I’m sticking to the facts.  And the facts are that God’s got this and I’m committed to this journey for the long haul.

But it’s not easy.

Several years ago my husband and I visited the Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee.  I was amazed at their process – they have only about 5% waste.  They have set themselves up so they can keep going just like they are for hundreds of more years.  They recycle the water they use, they sell the mash to farmers who feed it to their very happy cows and pigs, they sell the used barrels to vineyards and the public, they make their own charcoal to filter the alcohol and then they turn the used charcoal into Bbq chips we can buy for our grilling. They are solid.  They are ‘sustainable’ which is a buzz word for a process that is going to make it for the long haul.

They have set themselves up to be successful for a very long time.

What about me and you?  Can we say the same thing?  It’s important to ask ourselves some tough questions once in awhile to make sure we’re going to a place where we want to go.

Are the things I’m spending most of my time on worth it – for the long haul? Is the pace of my life at a rate where I can keep it up for a long time?  Are my relationships and priorities right so I will have no regrets when I take my last breath?  Am I strong enough in my beliefs and values that I’ll be able to weather the storms that are coming my way?  Or will I get tossed around, lose my way and get stuck on the rocks?

I have met quite a few people in my life who are stuck in bitterness and anger and regrets because of tragedies that have happened in their lives.  They are letting the tragedy poison the rest of their lives and they are on the road to a very lonely and sad place because they are becoming people no one else wants to be around.

My son died while serving and protecting our community.  I get to choose to honor his sacrifice or not. I get to choose to use whatever time I have left on this earth to add to the love and good in the world.  Or not. I can make a difference – over this very long haul.

Each one of us gets to choose.

What are you choosing?

Miss you, Davey. Love you.💙💙