Sam Smith, 2020 - Cops were a significant factor in my sons' growing up. The reason: Washington had a Police Boys' Club that, among other things, organized and coached baseball leagues for young boys. I still fondly remember pleasant afternoons watching the kids play under the guidance of coaches and umpires who looked pretty normal except for the guns on their hips. Here's how back in 1986, David Owen explained, in the Progressive Review, what it was like:
""I came to my first real practice all excited, full of the dreams every kid had —of pitching a perfect game or becoming the starting shortstop and making some great play in the hole. As I walked onto the field I encountered a large, severe looking man with a dark square face and a gun on his hip. The man looked at me and told me that I was going to be a catcher and that if I wanted to play I had to go out and buy a cup, the protective variety, the next day.
I was barely nine years old at this time and the man who was speaking to me, a policeman named Buddy Burkhead, is still remembered in DC varsity high school circles with respect and, in many cases, with memories of fear. A superb baseball coach, Burkhead runs one of the finest youth programs in the area.'
This is just one more example of how police can improve their role by getting out of their cars and into our communities.
No comments:
Post a Comment