Blue Christmas

 

[From Top L to Bottom R] Officer Brenna Hosey, Officer Richard Luellen,
Officer Michael Sipos, Officer Amanda Topping,
Officer James Wells, Sergeant Timothy Miller.
(Source: Metro Nashville Police Department)

This might be an unpopular opinion.

You see, it's all the rage to hate on the police on a large scale, isn't it?

It's "Trumpian" to say anything positive about police, amirite?

You know, having a blue line flag is akin to that, no? (For the record, I don't have one)

I'm not here for that.

Yesterday, there was a near-fatal tragedy in Nashville, TN.

Near. Fatal.

Christmas Day had started out quietly on Second Ave. North in Music city.

The Ryman Auditorium -- the famed home of the Grand Old Opry -- sat waiting for its opportunity to host the next country music concert.

All the restaurants and bars and clubs that might have been hosting tons of denim-clad, boots-wearing YEE HAH partying people were quiet.

Christmas morning. All was calm. All was bright.

Then, reportedly, shots rang out around 6 a.m. local time.

Soon, residents began hearing an announcement, seemingly coming from a strange RV parked on Second Ave. North. The announcement spoke of a bomb and maybe even a countdown, but Casey Kasem was nowhere to be found.

"This area must be evacuated now," a recorded female voice said. A countdown and some music were said to be part of the pre-blast program.

This is where our heroes come in.

Yes, heroes. They don't want to be known as heroes, but that's simply too bad.

Metro Nashville Officers Amanda Topping, Brenna Hosey, James Wells, Michael Sipos, Richard Luellen, and Sgt. Richard Miller investigated the gunshots and began going door-to-door.

Their message was simple: Run. Get out. Go away. Get lost. Scram. You can't stay here. Find somewhere else to go. 

Essentially, they -- police and residents -- had a half-hour. Less, probably. Whether or not they knew that wasn't relevant. They had to work fast, and they knew it.

Indeed, a bomb did explode, at 6:29 a.m. per video from TMZ, damaging multiple buildings and anything else in its path along Second Ave. North and in the blocks around it. A sickly plume of smoke could be seen rising from the site of impact and the rumble could felt for miles.

You've probably heard all of that. 

Maybe.

I heard about it -- where else? -- on social media a few hours later and raced to find -- what else? -- a radio station to listen to. I jumped to WWTN (marketed as "WTN" for simplicity) and listened as events unfolded.

While everyone was enjoying their figgy pudding (or french toast, in my case), there was perhaps a passing, "So did you hear about Nashville? Pass the fruit cake," in conversation.

And why?

Because, as of this time, there were only three injuries that were not life-threatening.

And no deaths.

Why?

Because of Metro Nashville Officers Amanda Topping, Brenna Hosey, James Wells, Michael Sipos, Richard Luellen, and Sgt. Richard Miller.

I know, I know. The cool kids in 2020 (and I suppose further back, at least back to Ferguson, etc) prefer to denounce the police and defund the police.

But maybe -- just maybe -- there are more like Officers Topping, Hosey, Wells, Sipos, Luellen, and Miller. Perhaps the bad ones -- the ones that need to be eradicated -- are the vast minority. Let's hope so, though I actually believe so.

A whole lot of people are safe tonight because of these six heroes.

Stepping into a dangerous situation that could have killed them.

Six heroes just doing their job.

The news cycle is much different today because of them.