Appreciation: Dinner for law enforcement conveys what often goes unsaid

Some thank yous are in order, although none can match the display of gratitude plated out at the Goldsboro Event Center Thursday night.

George Williams, in association with Mickey's Pastry Shop, the event center and an anonymous donor, all did what many of us seek to do but fall short all too often. They demonstrated true appreciation for the many sacrifices made daily by the men and women in law enforcement in Wayne County.

The second, and hopefully annual, Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner was well attended and well executed.

Williams says he came up with the idea to do something for officers in Wayne County after some of their brethren in blue were gunned down in Dallas and Baton Rouge in 2016.

He has done well with the dinner, and he deserves a bit of appreciation too, not from the officers he served a hot meal to, they earned it. No, he deserves our thanks for saying through his words and actions what many of us never take the time to say -- "thank you."

Now, we at the paper get to work pretty closely with law enforcement now and again, and some occasions are more pleasant than others given the kinds of regrettable events that sometimes bring us together.

But any time we can come out and mingle with law enforcement, or the fire and rescue service as well, in a relaxed setting either for training or for community events, we leap at the chance.

They deserve our coverage for all of the hard work they do in keeping the community as safe, secure, clean, quiet and peaceful as possible for the rest of us to live in. And when things go south, they are right there.

They pay a price that is sometimes physical, at other times emotional, and is always at the cost of spending time and sharing some of the peace of mind with their families which most of us can relatively take for granted.

So thank you, George and all who helped you pull off that dinner Thursday night. And a much bigger thank you to the men and women whom you served.

Published in Editorials on November 9, 2017 10:13 PM