PAX Centurion - January / February 2015

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • January/February 2015 • Page 7 Secretary’s Thoughts: Christopher J. Broderick, BPPA Secretary The BPPA is a source of pride They were targeted for no other reason than because they chose to serve the citizens of New York City, because they wore a badge, because they were dedicated professional peace officers. What happened to those men that day was an attack on us all. I’m sure every officer nationwide felt the pain of losing two brothers like that. I’m sure many of us privately thought that could have been me. Those thoughts, and dare I say fear, were real and reasonable. But what did we very same woman and men do? We put on our uniforms, we got in our cruisers and we did our jobs. “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” That quote becomes so much more appropriate when something like this happens. We kept the city safe, we protected the people and most importantly we looked out for one another. As important as the first two are we can never forget the last. Sometimes we only have each other. A lready a month of 2015 is behind us and boy have I learned a lot. Every day I walk into 9-11 Shetland Street I have an ever-broadening perspective of what the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association is. The only thing that grows bigger than that view is pride. In December, we lost a brother. Officer Mike Ramos left us all too soon. A tragedy – for Mike’s family and friends, for his brother and sister officers and for all the people denied Mike’s noble service to the City of Boston. By all accounts Mike was a great man. Mike was remembered for his work as policeman but what was truly touching was how he was memorialized as a friend and family man. To be commemorated as a good cop is nice but to be recognized as a great mom or dad and great husband or wife is truly an honor. The only goal a person that takes on the role should strive for. If you have had the chance to hear people speak of Mike he certainly accomplished that…Even in the painfully short time he was with us. To Mike’s close friends, his inner circle I want you to know you did it right. I’m sure he’s been looking down on your with a smile and at peace knowing you will take care of things down here. To the men and woman of the Boston Police Depart- ment, Thank you for the way you have supported Mike’s family during all of this. It began with just a few peoples compassionate ideas of trying to make Mike’s kids feel a little better during Christmas while they struggled with their loss. The result was nothing less than a holiday miracle. The kindness displayed by so many people was incred- ible. I cannot put into words how special it was to see a video of Mike’s daughters smiling and laughing a little on Christmas Day. Those smiles are because of Mike’s inner circle, because of those few people in the beginning who thought they could help Mike’s family and because so many members of this Department unselfishly acted on those ideas. I would like to thank all of you for what you did. While we were grieving this loss of our brother here at home a no more tragic but certainly horrendous event touched our brothers and sisters in NewYork City, and therefore police officers everywhere. NewYork City Patrol Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were brutally ambushed while in their patrol car. It was a tragedy that I thought could only play out on a scripted television show. They were targeted for no other reason than because they chose to serve the citizens of NewYork City, because they wore a badge, because they were dedicated professional peace officers. What happened to those men that day was an attack on us all. I’m sure every officer nation- wide felt the pain of losing two brothers like that. I’m sure many of us privately thought that could have been me. Those thoughts, and dare I say fear, were real and reasonable. But what did we very same woman and men do?We put on our uniforms, we got in our cruis- ers and we did our jobs. “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.” That quote becomes so much more appropriate when something like this happens. We kept the city safe, we protected the people and most importantly we looked out for one another. As important as the first two are we can never forget the last. Sometimes we only have each other. I want to recognize the kindness and solidarity shown by so many of our members following the deaths of Of- ficer Liu and Officer Ramos. When I say this I do not mean it to sound cold and I think you’ll understand…The timing of their deaths was dif- ficult. We were all still mourn- ing the loss of Mike. It was in the midst of the Holiday Season. Sometimes children and spouses don’t understand the unspoken bond we have for each other. no matter where we are “stationed”. There was holiday shopping to do, family gatherings to attend or toys to assemble. We did not have the time or abil- ity of stopping time with our families. In spite of all that hundreds of BPPA members boarded a bus to travel two hundred-plus miles to pay respects to men they did not know. Men they would probably never know. It was a virtual “planes, trains and automobiles” of officers making their way from Boston to NewYork to remember their brothers. We did it because of this very same reason they were attacked... Because we wear a badge, we did it because we are the Thin Blue Line. Some may think that sounds silly, some will say it’s only a sticker on a back window. Others will say it is an order of woman and men that think rules do not apply to them. After seeing thousands of Police officers from California to Puerto Rico fromArizona to Maine. I know it is truly symbolism that bonds us together when we put on our badge, our star or our shield. Thank you for believing in it no matter what you call it. Thank you.