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My heart aches for the law enforcement officers recently killed in cold blood, officers that were sworn to uphold the law and protect the citizens of their jurisdiction. The last killing, Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth who was shot and killed from ambush while pumping gas into his patrol car at a commercial gas station in Cypress, Texas.
Further explained in www.odmp.org (Officer Down Memorial Page), “Deputy Goforth was on patrol and had completed an assignment at the scene of a vehicle collision. He went to a local gas station to fuel his patrol car. As Deputy Goforth stood next to his patrol car filling it with fuel, a male subject walked up behind him and fired multiple shots. After Deputy Goforth fell to the ground, the subject shot him several more times before fleeing the scene in a pickup truck.”
Recent community outbursts and upheavals over the shooting deaths of young, black people have put a target on the back of every police officer in this nation. Suddenly the fact that some of these dead people were criminals means nothing. They were black, therefore they became the masthead of a movement of others crying out about lack of justice in their neighborhoods.
Where is the justice in killing an officer that just responded to a traffic accident? Does that blood-letting heal the years of inner-city decay and depravation that is leading to many of the outbursts that we are seeing today?
Rather, killing innocent officers is causing further separation between people groups – people who need to look at accountability for actions and responsibility for those actions. If a kid stole cigars, pushed the shop owner out of the way, tried to grab a responding police officer’s pistol and shoot him then ended up dead after those events, isn’t that kid accountable and responsible for his actions?
Why blame the police officer?
Our society is getting very good at casting off self-blame and placing it in places it doesn’t belong. We enable children behaving badly and wonder why they are hoods when they grow up.
The Bible clearly states that sparing the rod will spoil the child. Our nation is filling up with spoiled, rotten people who are enabled by a system that works to keep them in the system.
We are eight months into 2015 and we are at 82 line of duty deaths. The Officer Down Memorial Page lists the causes and numbers of those deaths: 9/11 related illness: 3, Accidental: 2, Aircraft accident: 1, Assault: 3, Automobile accident: 19, Fall: 1, Gunfire: 23, Gunfire (Accidental): 2, Heart attack: 13, Motorcycle accident: 3, Struck by vehicle: 5, Vehicle pursuit: 4, Vehicular assault: 3.
2014 line of duty deaths was reported as 133, 2013 line of duty deaths 119, and 2012 line of duty deaths 133. The average age of the officers killed was 40 with average tours of duty length of 12 years, 10 months. In 2015, Kansas was listed as having one on-duty officer killed; Texas holds the top number of 10 deaths followed by Louisiana at nine.
Since law enforcement still remains mostly a male occupation, 79 officers killed in 2015 so far were male and three female. (K9 Line of Duty Deaths: 22.)
Granted, we have seen some brutality by law enforcement, but that is not the norm. The majority of officers out there are good people who feel a sense of duty to their communities. The bad apples have brought light to the need for change in some communities, but the majority of American cities have good law enforcement that upholds the law for everyone.
We need to protect our officers. They put their lives on the line every time they go on duty.
Their families are not immune from danger, either. Many law enforcement officials’ families have been forced to arm themselves against retribution from those trying to “pay back” law enforcement for doing their jobs.
We as citizens of this nation need to step up and help protect our police. This senseless killing of officers because they carry a badge is crazy. This has got to stop and we need to step up to watch the backs of our officers. We are also accountable and responsible for our actions, and those actions include protecting the ones who protect and serve.

OBITUARIES

Frederick John “Fritz” Johanning, Jr. ~ 08-10-1948 to 03-26-2024

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Linn County News Published April 3, 2024   Frederick John "Fritz" Johanning, Jr., age 75, of Blue Mound, Kan., passed away Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Funeral service will be 11 a.m. Saturday, March 30, 2024, at the Schneider Funeral Home and Crematory, Mound City... [More]

Doris Maxine Basore ~ 01-02-1920 to 03-10-2024

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Linn County News Published March 13, 2024   Doris Maxine Basore, age 104, Pleasanton, Kan., passed away Monday, March 10, 2024. She was born in Bates County, Mo., on Jan. 2, 1920, the daughter of Ray and Verna Chapman Lacy. She graduated from Rich Hill High School... [More]

Janice (Good) Waltmire ~ 08-20-1937 to 03-09-2024

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Linn County News Published March 13, 2024   Janice (Good) Waltmire, age 86, of Overland Park, Kan., passed away peacefully in her home on Saturday, March 9, 2024. She was born the youngest of four children in Mound City, Kan., on Aug. 20, 1937, to the late Ralph... [More]

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NEWS

USD 362 to return to onsite food service

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Move follows decade with food management companies   After a decade of partnering with private management vendors, Prairie View Unified School District 362 will return to self-operation of its food service program next school year. The decision came at the monthly... [More]

La Cygne to change insurance carrier

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Purchase will still be through Truly   La Cygne city leaders have opted for a new municipal insurance underwriter. On a 3-0 vote at last Wednesday’s regular meeting, with David Brenneman and Ed Smith not present, the council voted for the city to be insured through... [More]

Agriculture leading economic contributor for Linn County

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Agriculture touches the lives of everyone in Linn County, whether you are a producer or a consumer, providing a direct or indirect impact of over $170 million to our county in 2023.  Farming and beef cattle ranching, including feedlots and dual-purpose farming and ranching... [More]

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SPORTS

Prairie View brings home two State titles in powerlifting championship

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The Prairie View powerlifting team traveled to Santa Fe Trail on March 23 for the 3A State Powerlifting Meet. The Buffalos did very well at the meet with seven lifters placing in the top three and Prairie View placing second overall as a team. “We came up 11 points short... [More]

Jayhawk softball hosts Prairie View in season opener

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The Jayhawk Linn softball team hosted Prairie View in their season opener on March 19. The Lady Hawks played a double-header and lost both games to the Lady Buffs 5-15 and 13-15. The first game saw the Buffalos take a 6-3 after three innings. After this, Prairie View outscored... [More]

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Call Barbara at 913-352-6235 or e-mail linncountynewsreporter@gmail.com

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