President Berl Perdue's Address

We are gathered here to dedicate this memorial to our local peace officers.  It is something that is long past due and I'm proud that we have made it a reality. As we gather here today to honor the memory of our Brother and Sister officers, members and deputies, I ask you...who will cry for these heroes who are immortalized on these stones?  I answer,  We Will. There are similar ceremonies taking place all over America this week, in small towns, rural countryside's, large cities and our nations' capitol, the site of our National Police Memorial. We do this, not just because it is fitting to do so, but to insure that at least during this National Police Memorial Week, designated by President John F. Kennedy in May, 1962, the hearts and minds of all Americans are focused on the daily fight for peace in our communities, and lest they forget, the ultimate price paid by the peacekeepers. They are far more than engraved names on granite stones; these were husbands, fathers, sons, brothers, friends and neighbors.  They were part of our community and part of each of us. This memorial and this National Police Week should serve to remind every citizen, young and old, that peace is not guaranteed to everyone.  It is won and lost one day at a time.  It is sometimes lost by those who would use violence, addictions and hate to thwart our laws and steal our peace. It is ultimately won and saved by the peacekeepers who patrol the back roads and dark alleys in every town and city in this country, every day and every night -- 365 days a year. I suppose it is easy to forget the peacekeepers represent more than speeding tickets and arrest.  This is why it is important to come here and dedicate this special place, to remind everyone that the peacekeepers, these fallen heroes, represent the thin line between right and wrong, good and evil, peace or chaos. If this line breaks the cause for peace suffers along with all those that hold it dearly.  But when a police officer falls, who will cry for them?  We Will. It is my hope that as long as this memorial stands, those that pass this way might stop to ponder not just the name of one they did not know, but the ultimate sacrifice paid for their freedom and safety. May we never have to add a new name to this will to cry for, but if we do, know that the good people of our community and the members of the Fraternal Order of Police will...cry for them. Thank you. Top