'Blue light'

To some shopping-minded people, the phrase "Operation Blue Light" is merely a term used by department stores to lure bargain hunters.

But to others, it's also the name for a special program, one which you might want to consider participating in during the holiday season.

Members of the Mahoning Township Police Department, along with C.O.P.S (Concerns of Police Survivors) are encouraging residents, businesses, friends of law enforcement to show support for officers killed in the line of duty and those who continue to work America's streets.

Such support can be shown by displaying a blue light or blue lights in the windows of homes and businesses for the coming holiday season.

Kenneth Barnes, chief of police in the township, said blue is symbolic of peace.

By displaying your blue lights, you will be sending a message that you support America's peacekeepers and that you hope the coming year will be a year of peace.

While blue might not normally be considered in your Christmas lighting displays, Chief Barnes provides a good reason for including the color.

Often we take for granted the fine police protection we have in the region. It's generally not until an emergency or crisis arises that we find out how valuable it can be.

Find a spot in your holiday arrangements for the color blue. Show your remembrance for officers who died protecting fellow Americans. And you might also find space for displaying an American flag or a little bit of the red, white, and blue combination.

You are not taking away from the real meaning of Christmas by doing this. After all, isn't religious freedom one of the many things that our soldiers are defending?

For more information on the blue lights campaign, visit the C.O.P.S Website at www.nationalcops.org.

By Ron Gower

rgower@tnonline.com