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Officer Dodds is a hero, wounded in the line of duty.  By the grace of God, he's still around.

We are surrounded by everyday heroes.  In the course of my life, I've got to ride along with cops, and saw how they put their lives on the line.

My roommate's grandfather gave his life to save his wife, in Tucson.  When they were visiting here in July, they seemed like ordinary folk, lovable and good people.  Not until this did I realize that Dory Stoddard was an American hero, and his wife Mave set the tone of forgiveness and forbearance in the wake of this mindless public shooting.  Then, eleven law enforcement heroes were shot in a 24-hour period.  Yeah, I'm concerned.  Yeah, I'm involved.  My dog in this fight is my right to free and peaceful assembly.  Oh, and I have an only daughter, about to be married this summer.  If her safety is ever threatened, my wrath will be psychotic, terminal, and with maximum prejudice.  Ugly and unforgiving.  Worst of all, imaginative.  I'm not at my best as a human being, when I think about protecting my daughter from the .... screwloose ... mentally ill who are armed.  With high-cap clips.  Afraid that even after hearing the Dalai Lama speak in Portland, I'm with Torquemada on this one.  Do not harm my child.  Do not harm people in a Safeway parking lot.  Violate this rule, and pay the price.  In pain, Jared.  My roommate and his grandmother have forgiven you.  Not me, pal.  I want you to catch cancer.  If you die screaming for a sip of water, Geoff Taylor is going to laugh out loud.  Sorry.  Or i should be, maybe.

My dear friend in Portland told me that she lost a good friend, a federal judge, on that very day.  What are the odds that this mass shooting would affect me personally, from two degrees of separation?  I live in Nowhere, OR.

However, maybe I can help to turn things around.  In the words of Jeff Lebowski, "This aggression will not stand."  I intend to oppose it.

Geoffrey Taylor/ Summit OR

posted 2 years, 4 months ago
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