Reagan spoke with authority, experience

In a speech to union members during his presidency, Ronald Reagan said that the first duty of government is to protect the people, not run their lives.

The 40th president himself needed protection in 1981 when he became the target of an assassination attempt outside the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The attack by John Hinckley Jr., who had a history of psychiatric care, wounded Reagan, his press secretary, James Brady, a Secret Service agent and a police officer.

Last week, two members of the Capitol Police force also put their lives on the line while trying to protect elected government officials. Most members of Congress do not have their own security details, but high-ranking officials like Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the House Majority Whip, are assigned security teams.

Thankfully, Special Agents Crystal Griner and David Bailey, members of the Scalise protective detail, were on duty in Alexandria, Virginia, where Republican congressmen were practicing for the annual baseball game against their Democratic colleagues.

When James Hodgkinson, a Republican-hating Bernie Sanders supporter, began shooting from behind the third base dugout, Griner and Bailey were posted behind the first base dugout. In the extended firefight, the two agents were able to take down the shooter despite both being wounded and outgunned (the gunman had a semi-automatic and the agents had handguns).

House Majority Whip Scalise dragged himself to safety after being critically wounded. Near death when brought to the hospital, Scalise faces a long recovery period.

It's obvious that the congressmen at the field would have been sitting ducks had the agents not been there. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said it would have been "a massacre."

Greiner and Bailey were taken to the hospital and are recovering from their injuries. Remarkably, Bailey surprised the crowd at Thursday's Congressional Baseball Game by walking with crutches to the pitcher's mound and throwing out the first pitch.

Given the dangers associated with their work, we can't forget the 1,700 members of the Capitol Police force officers who patrol the Capitol grounds and provide protective services to top lawmakers and their families. Both Griner and Bailey previously served on the security detail of former Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

After visiting the critically wounded Scalise in the hospital, President Trump stated that many lives would have been lost if not for the heroic actions of the two officers that morning. He also hoped the shooting could help bring unity to a very divided nation.

Bailey, a graduate of North Carolina, joined the Capitol Police about eight years ago and is known by friends as a born leader who takes his job very seriously, even considering Scalise and his family as his own.

Our other hero of the week is 11-year-old Preston Sharp who provided us with an inspirational story for Flag Day. After visiting his grandfather's grave in Redding, California, Preston discovered that not every veteran in the cemetery had an American flag.

He began taking on odd jobs and soliciting donations to buy flags and flowers to place on every veteran's grave. A GoFundMe page was also set up for donations and other volunteers - young and old - joined him to honor all the fallen veterans.

Each time Preston places a flag on the grave, he verbally thanks the soldier by name. One media headline proclaimed him as the "pied piper of patriotism."

While Preston is responsible for putting thousands of flags and flowers on the graves, he also maintains them, returning to the cemetery to clean grave markers, straighten flags and replacing flowers.

The effort has spread to other cemeteries. Preston welcomes and encourages anyone to join him, posting on his Facebook page where and when he'll be visiting a cemetery.

We began this column with a quote that Ronald Reagan made during a speech to the AFL-CIO. He went on to tell the union members that "America means freedom and is the only nation designed as a free nation."

"If you don't love freedom, leave, go anywhere else, you're free to leave," he said.

Thankfully, there are those among us who continue to inspire - heroes like the Capitol Police who put their lives on the line each day and young patriots like Preston Sharp who honor those who served and sacrificed in the military. We also have the strong legacy of President Reagan whose enduring words instill pride and made us feel exceptional as a nation.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com