Thinking Globally, Praising Locally

I don’t spend a lot of time on local news…talk radio and the local paper’s website is how I keep up with the local stuff.  I do spend a lot of time on politics and world events via books and the internet.  Today there was a story in the local news that caught my eye and I think it’s as important a story as any of the more “global” news.

Officer Jim Simone photo by Lynn Ischay

This is Cleveland Police Officer Jim Simone.  He is known as “Supercop”.  I consider him a hero, others see him differently. He’s been a police officer for 35 years.  Over that time he’s had cause to fire his weapon 11 times.  Five of those times resulted in the death of the suspect.  But there is more to his story….

“Twice he has been shot on duty. He has been stabbed and hit by cars with fleeing thugs at the wheel. He has a host of awards for valor. And he annually ranks among the top Cleveland patrol officers in arrests and traffic citations.”

Of the times he has had to use deadly force,

“Simone said he wishes none of the shootings had happened. He said he anguished and lost sleep after each one, knowing victims’ blameless friends and family cry in pain. He knows he will be second-guessed, again.

But, he said, he never wavers in the belief that each was justified.”

This past Saturday night, Officer Simone saved a woman’s life.  She had fallen into the  Cuyahoga River (yes, the Cuyahoga River of Randy Newman Burn On fame)  and Officer Simone, age 60, jumped into the water.  He was able with the help of a Cleveland Firefighter to get the woman out of the water.  The entire story is here.  And what did he have to say?

“It was not me that saved her. It was the Cleveland Police, EMS and Fire Department.”

He was just doing his job.   Protect and defend. He risked his own life (think hypothermia…the river…in January) to save the life of another.  It’s hard to think of what to say about someone like that…except that is what heroes do.  And heroes will tell you they are not…they are just doing their jobs.

I’d also like to give kudos to  Cleveland PD columnist Phillip Morris.  Your columns in July and August, 2008…were right on.

“We can’t have it both ways.

We can’t continue to handcuff police officers and then expect them to perform safety miracles in a dangerous, crumbling city.”

Amen!

Love,
Mom