Jay GreesonI'm all for Gerald McCormick's recent idea.
The state House majority leader and Chattanooga Republican shared with all of us on Tuesday that he is working on legislation that would make public safety workers a "protected class."
"I have enormous respect for the men and women who put on a uniform and risk their lives on a daily basis to serve and protect our communities," McCormick said in a news release. "Just recently, I read about an incident in our state that involved individuals firing multiple shots at a highway patrol station. Frankly, I'm tired of watching the news and seeing our public servants assaulted by those they protect.
"Individuals must realize that attacking a police officer or a firefighter or emergency medical personnel in this state, simply, will not be tolerated, and I believe this legislation will help meet that goal."
Excellent. Those people protect us, so we should do all we can to protect them. We are all tired of it, and even if his detractors claim these attempts are more about politics than policy, it's a show of support to those who willingly respond in moments of emergency.
Louisiana recently became the first state in the nation to adopt this type of law, which has somewhat controversially been put under the "Blue Lives Matter" label.
It's a less-than-subtle play on the "Black Lives Matter" movement that has turned into a national talking point. The Black Lives Matter movement, of course, was borne after the tragic and unfortunate deaths of young black males from police shootings.
The inclusion of color on either side into matters of safety clouds the issue.
Bullets are color blind, and they certainly have little regard for social status or what's on someone's W2. The violence from right here to Chicago - where shootings are seemingly as commonplace as traffic - and across the country is the epic problem under our noses.
That's not a black or white or blue or polka-dotted issue. That's an American issue.
Hopefully, the idea of making attacks on police officers and first responders a more egregious crime will help curb that violence. It's doubtful - the folks willing to attack cops and shoot at cops are not overly concerned with our laws to begin with - but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
But the phrasing of the idea only further divides the issue in some ways, and like most things of this ilk, sadly, the original good intentions are frequently deflected when the conversation mentions color.
In fact, why are we not debating "All lives matter," for instance? Shouldn't we make every step to make our streets and country safer for everyone?
State laws as important as helping to protect the uniformed officers who try to protect us on a daily basis do not need the sidetracking distraction that too often comes with those racial overtones.
Here's hoping that the back and forth and the racial lines that will almost assuredly be drawn over this issue will not hijack McCormick's honest and exemplary efforts.
In fact, let's add on another layer. Make the attacks on the witnesses with the courage to come forward a hate crime, too. Make it punishable to the limits of the Constitution.
Blue lives matter. So do black lives. All lives do.
But be they officers or witnesses, all of those willing to stand up to the criminals need all the support we can offer.
And that's not about color. That's about our country, protecting the lives of the brave.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6273.