Truth told: Statement made at memorial service a message to heed

Maj. Fane Greenfield did not include his comment in his message to the mourners at Friday's service honoring Sheriff Carey Winders because he was trying to garner attention for himself.

He was paying tribute to a man whom he and his fellow officers admired and who had impacted his life and the lives of countless others.

But when he made his comment about Sheriff Winders and his ability to cross aisles and to share love with people of all political parties and racial backgrounds, he might have made more than a few people think.

And in the process he cemented a legacy left by the late sheriff that more than a few politicians could stand to emulate -- and a few of us regular folks, too.

The quote is worth repeating -- "If we could take Sheriff Winders' heart and cut it up into little pieces, ladies and gentlemen, and give the Republicans some. Give the Democrats some. Give the blacks some. Give the whites some. This county, this country would be a better place because he had a heart of nothing but love."

Amen. How right he is.

There is this new theory of political thought that "victory" is all or nothing -- and that opponents must be "bad" or "virtueless" because they do not see the world the same way.

It is sad and it is a sign that this country is headed straight for ruin if we cannot learn to respect one another again.

We have to learn to say no to those who would divide us -- sometimes for notoriety and sometimes for profit. We have to recognize false prophets for what they are and to decide for ourselves. And we have to learn to try to set aside old hurts to forge new understandings.

It is how we will grow as a nation and it is how we will be true to the promises of freedom and of "America" for which our ancestors fought and for which our military heroes today defend.

How fitting that at a funeral for a man who gave so much to so many that there would be one final gift -- communicated through a man who then vowed, on behalf of not just himself, but the other members of the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, to carry on what their boss taught them.

It was a message that should have resonated throughout the room -- and we believe it did.

There are many reasons to admire Sheriff Winders and many of them have been communicated over the last week.

But along with all those memories, if he could teach us all a little bit about how to get along while still staying true to ourselves -- and if per chance, he could get a few leaders at the local and state levels to try it as well, who knows what kind of county we could create.

There is work left to be done, too.

Sheriff Winders was fighting for a new jail -- and it is something this county needs desperately. That mantle should not be put down, but should be pursued until the work is done -- right.

No politics. No grandstanding, just leaders joining forces to get something done. We think it would be a good start.

And, perhaps, we can suggest an appropriate name when the place is finally built.

It is hard to imagine that Sheriff Winders would not have been proud of Maj. Greenfield -- and that if he had been in the audience (and who knows that he was not there in spirit) that he would not have clapped along with the more than 1,000 people at that memorial service.

Now, we have the hard part -- to carry on that legacy and to spread the message we heard Friday afternoon.

The journey will not be easy. And there will be plenty of naysayers along the way, but perhaps this is a first step of something lasting, something worth the effort.

It requires setting a higher standard and reaching for a loftier goal. It requires opening hearts and minds as well as listening rather than shouting. It requires knowing when there is no give and finding a place where there might be a common ground to start a discussion.

It requires knowing what is important and winning minds and hearts through a shared purpose not an unfettered insult war.

And to do that requires recognizing true leaders from those who only mouth the message.

How comforting it is to know that there are more than a few people at the Wayne County Sheriff's Office who understand the challenge and the lesson -- and who just might be able to teach it to a few others.

Sheriff Winders would be proud.

Published in Editorials on February 1, 2014 11:15 PM