Pensacola resident: What gives me hope (opinion)

And I know that same sentiment was also in the hearts and minds of the active duty and civilian personnel at NAS Pensacola who rushed to help. I know also that my neighbors and the people of Pensacola, agree.

This deeply held belief is what gives me hope on this otherwise dark day. Law enforcement — both local and military — showed themselves to be of one heart and mind. There were no public disputes over jurisdiction, no deal making, and no transactions. A crime was being committed against the community that belonged to them all. In the face of grave danger, that community simply acted as one.

I have often repeated this quotation from the father of modern policing to police leaders and politicians here in the US. Often, they reply that those words describe police-community relations as they should be, or could be — “in a perfect world.”

Every day, we are confronted with evidence that our world is very far from perfect. Yet on Friday, December 6, in my hometown of Pensacola, on the grounds of the Naval Air Station of which we are so proud, this imperfect world witnessed that perfect relationship between police and community. The world saw a commonwealth of citizens who were indivisible, and amid the chaos and tragedy, the police were the public and the public were the police.