Remembering those who have our backs

With the Republican candidate field whittled down to four, last Thursday's GOP debate in Detroit put us in mind of a steel cage match in professional wrestling.

The wild scene even included howling fans, some of whom had to be ejected from the building for their raucous behavior.

The volume of insults and personal attacks support the contention that Republican candidates may indeed eat their own, meaning they are like parents in the animal kingdom who are total cannibals and eat their young.

During the course of all the infighting in Thursday's debate, one news commentator remarked that her 5-year-old asked why the candidates weren't fighting with swords.

There were some substantive and riveting moments, however, especially at the end. One was when Bret Baier, one of the FOX moderators, asked each of the four if they would pledge their support to the GOP nominee even if it was another candidate. After two hours of blistering attacks, each one of the four repeated his previous vow to support the eventual nominee.

Ted Cruz supplied us with a memorable moment in his closing statement when he vowed to military and police personnel that if he wins the Oval Office, "I will have your back."

Hearing a candidate use his last 30 seconds of the debate to specifically thank the men and women in uniform - military, law enforcement, first responders (EMS/fire) - struck a chord with me.

The phrase "I've got your back" actually originated a century ago during World War I. During aerial combat, aviators knew that they were most vulnerable from attacks from behind known as the six o'clock position. So when a fellow aviator said "I've got your six," it meant they were watching your back.

Every day, members of law enforcement, the military and emergency responders have our backs.

Just nine days ago, officer Ashley Guindon was fatally shot while attempting to break up a domestic dispute in Prince William County, Virginia. The fatal domestic call came during her first day on the job, just hours after she was sworn in as police department officer.

The 29-year-old officer was no stranger to hazardous duty. Before joining the police academy, she served in the Marine Reserve.

After her death, police officers from across the country and world showed solidarity for one of their own who was slain in the line of duty by sharing photos online of their first day on the job.

Hundreds of law enforcement officers in dress uniforms also attended last week's funeral in person.

"We wanted them (Guindon's family) to know they are not alone," said John Kerr, a retired FBI agent who showed up with other members of the Strength and Honor Motorcycle Club.

The dangers of police work were also front and center in our state last January when York County law enforcement revealed that a man who had lived just a few minutes away from the state police barracks in Loganville had been in his final planning stages of a massive attack.

Howard Timothy Cofflin Jr., 56, had been building improvised explosive devices from propane tanks and parts bought online. Police said he planned to put nails and bolts on the outside of the homemade bombs to cause the maximum amount of carnage with shrapnel.

His weapons arsenal included an AR-15 rifle. Police allege he was aiming to kill his ex-girlfriend and then use his arsenal against all state troopers who showed up to arrest him.

These are just a few recent examples of how our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line daily to protect us. With all the instability and uncertainty in the world, we were happy to see one of the candidates use his personal time to acknowledge those who have our backs.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com