A SOLEMN VOW THAT SACRIFICE WILL NOT BE IN VAIN

An open letter to the families, friends and colleagues of the four officers
murdered in Mayerthorpe:

First, let me say that I am neither a member of a police force, nor do
I have a family member or close friend who is.

I feel compelled to write this letter to you as a mother. Almost
everyday I hear stories about crimes that have taken place in our
country, yet this is the first time that I have been so shaken by the
news that I have been moved to publicly speak out.

Everyday the men and women who make up the various law enforcement
agencies in this country put their lives on the line to protect my
children.

They work tirelessly to locate missing children, they expose child
pornography rings, and they shut down illegal drug operations to name
just a few of the protective services they provide. They do this as a
service to me and my children.

Every time these brave men and women successfully shut down one of
these illegal grow operations they make the world a safer place for my
children to grow up, by decreasing the chances that some dealer will
prey on them by trying to sell them some mind and body destroying drugs.

On Thursday, March 3, four of these officers sacrificed their lives to
protect my children.

The purpose of this letter is not to conduct a post-mortem of the
events. God knows there will be enough of that in the weeks and months
to come. My reasons for writing this letter are twofold.

First, I wish to share with the families, friends and colleagues of
the slain officers my eternal gratitude for the sacrifice they made.

They are heroes of the highest order and deserve to be honoured and
remembered in this way.

Secondly, I would like to offer to you my solemn vow that I will raise
my two young children to always respect the uniform and what it
represents. And I will teach them to respect the authority of the men
and women who wear it.

While I know my gratitude and vow combined are still woefully
inadequate compensation for the sacrifice these men have made, it is
my hope that in the months and years to follow, you may find some
small comfort that their sacrifice and your loss has not been in vain.

Gayle Potter

Cochrane, AB