I went to a young Police Officer’s funeral today. And as I stood there in the spring sunshine with thousands of others, a question burned in my heart.

What are you carrying America?

What are you carrying in your minds and voices that allows local governments to hold back your protectors from serving you well? What are you carrying that allowed brave blood to be spilled onto the streets that a young officer swore to protect for you.

Once again we hear words of “shocked and appalled.” Once again Law Enforcers gather from the far reaches of America and beyond to honor a fallen Brother. Once again the mournful pipes hopelessly try to express the sorrow of shattered family hearts.

A Brother is gone from us. Police Officer, Brian Moore, who tried to stop an armed urban predator was torn from us. A predator who knew no boundaries, who never yielded to society’s sanctions, who never respected civility.

This predator had an advantage now that he never enjoyed before. He was running loose in an urban plain that curbed his hunters. A policy of restriction that perhaps caused Brian to take a low-key approach to danger.

I believe he took this approach in accord to a new policy of not to offend, of not to appear to be profiling. An approach that gave the predator a deadly edge he otherwise would not have had. An approach that essentially gave this brave lion Brian rubber fangs and velvet claws. An approach that I think very likely cost him his young life.

My fellow Americans, was Demitrius, the predator looking for you coming home from work on that fateful spring evening? Was he looking for your son or daughter when he encountered that brave lion, Brian?

This is the question dear fellow citizen of the American plain. This is a question I ask the civilized among you. It’s the same question this brave Brian asked with his very last words, “What are you carrying?”

Detective Brian Moore,

Rest in Peace.

Leebythesea