Last night my duty entailed keeping individuals who wanted to enter into personal
combat with each other in the middle of a crowd from achieving their goals... not
once but several times.  Some were thankful and appreciative after the intervention,
some were not.  Those who listen get to go on enjoying their evening... those who
do not listen lose their freedom of choice for a time... must leave the area... or take
a trip to the graybar hotel.  Many of these people want to and do fight over words.

All fights, all battles, all wars... are entered into because some one or more people
entered into a course of action that gave them an advantage over some one or
more other people so that the initiator could take possession of something they
considered of value worth taking... physical body or property.

Saddam gained rule over his country by force and intimidation taking bodies, life
and property as he so chose... and gave his sons permission and power to do
likewise.  Hundreds of thousands of countrymen died to satisfy an insatiable thirst
for possession and control.  We are now engaged in a war of trying to restore rights
and control to the people of that nation.  The cost is incalculably high... the cost is
our sons and daughters.  No one else wants to do it and it must be done... or else
write off the population of Iraq.  The insurgents do not care how many Iraqis die if in
the process they can kill one police officer or one American.  The tree of liberty is
always watered with the blood of patriots.

The general population of any country does not understand the attitudes of Patriots.
The general population does not understand the demands and restrictions placed
upon all Peace Keepers, whether they are military or law enforcement, that says
you must do all within your power and within the restrictions to make, keep or
restore peace to the area where you are.  You take an oath to do that very task.
You have operating rules that you must know that dictate just how it can and must
be done.  We demand so much of Peace Keepers when we need you yet we pay
you so little... and the general attitude of the people is that they do not want the
Peace Keepers around them when they are not in immediate need... or if their
presence interferes with the wants and desires of the people... no matter whether
those desires are right or wrong.

Military, Law Enforcement, Clergy are treated much the same way...
Generally speaking the attitude is, when they need you they want you right now...
and when you have done all you can do for them they want you to go away...
get out of their sight... you make them uncomfortable.  In that sense all Peace
Keepers and Peace Makers are basically treated the same way... Do what I want
or need you to do... then go away.

This is the war in which we are all engaged Peace Keepers.  We are committed
to doing more than they generally want done... unless they personally have an
immediate need... yet we have taken an oath to do our duty whether it is convenient
or not... whether it is pleasant or not... whether it is dangerous or not...  The oath
which we swore or affirmed is always there.  If we meant what we said, it becomes
a driving force.  It can become a master or a mistress...  It can rival everything
else in your life.  It can take control and be destructive to you, to those you love and
to those who love you.

I remember well the empowerment of the adrenaline of pursuit.  I remember having
to fight off tunnel vision so that I could see all that I needed to see.  I remember the
traps all too well for I have been in them and have had to continue the fight to stay
out of them.  The things that trip up Peace Keepers are so sneaky and insidious
that we often do not see them until it is too late and we are caught in them.  Often
we survive only because of grace... not just because we are so good at the job.  It
takes much learning and experience to recognize and avoid the traps.  A large
part of my prayers for you is for protection... another is for provision... and I
regularly am saying to you to be alert, watchful, suspicious and wary.

Survival depends upon many things but mostly it depends upon you and your
attitude.  Attitude may need to be adjusted often.  Learning from the evaluation of
the last incident in which you were involved is a must.  I constantly am saying to
those who submit to teaching... "See, Hear, Learn and Apply!"  "You do not
know a thing until you can retain it, repeat it and apply it."

I have survived forty three years in this profession by Grace... and by my wits... as
I observed, applied, evaluated and learned... and those basics never go away.  We
may forget to apply them... and we must apply the basics until they become so
much a part of us that they do not and cannot go away... but basic principles
always work when found learned and cooperated with.

Please do not forget to Learn... and Cooperate.

"Be careful out there!"  Be alert... watchful... suspicious... and Be Wary!  Life is in
these principles... only if you practice them!  Please see to the feeding and
growth of all facets of your being... and not forgetting the spiritual feeding of your
inner person.  That person must be healthy and strong as well... or your success
will be fleeting and elusive.

As it has always been... so it still is...