We are gathered today to pay our respects to the fallen heroes of the Baltimore County Police Department. Men who lived each day not for themselves, but for others; who through their sacrifice brought peace to our neighborhoods and security to our lives. They stood with their fellow officers, they built a wall between civilization and chaos, between justice and tyranny, between violence and peace. The price of our security was their lives, and we owe a debt that can never be repaid.
We live today in a world of ever present danger, a world of greater demands for our police officers, a world where more and more will be called to risk the ultimate sacrifice. We send our police officers into the streets with all the tools we can provide, and with our gratitude. We all have a stake in the success of our police force, but it is the officers who face the danger. Yet they go forward, knowing the risk, knowing the cost, and knowing that it must be done.
I am humbled by their sacrifice, and I am deeply saddened by the loss of seven faithful and brave public servants. It is a terrible injustice, that men so committed to service were taken so soon. We cannot undo what is done. These seven lives were cut short. There are no words to match their sacrifice, only actions. Our lives must honor the legacy of those we honor today.
Each day, we honor them through our own commitments to peace, love and charity. As we gather here each year to remember these men, let us remember not that they died, but why they died. They died for us, for the promise of a better life for those left behind. We must fulfill that promise. We must commit ourselves to serving our neighbors, protecting those who need help, and refusing the temptations of violence, anger and chaos.
As we recognize the sacrifice of those who have passed, let us also honor the living, those who continue to hold the line. Our police officers must know today how much they mean to us. For those who have lost a loved one, I have no words that can ease the pain or lift the sadness. I can only tell you that you will always be in our hearts, and offer you a pledge that your loved ones' sacrifice was not made in vain. We are truly grateful, they are truly heroes.
Revised January 11, 2005
Courthouse 