All week, the national news has brought us more footage of young people protesting the actions of police, looting and burning, and throwing things at officers dressed in S.W.A.T. gear.  Meanwhile, the police and fire and rescue personnel of Great Bend and the surrounding jurisdictions continued to go about the business of keeping the public safe.  
Scan the police logs printed in this newspaper on a daily basis, and it’s quickly apparent, they’re busy.   But they still take the time to reach out to the public in our community, through special events like the first annual Guns and Hoses open house held Saturday.  The Fraternal Order of Police visited the grade school in Ellinwood for a friendly game of dodgeball, where the throwing was not against the rules.  And lets not forget all the other outreaches, like lunches with the elementary school kids, on-site fire awareness programs featuring Sparky the fire dog, and a Christmas shopping spree for kids who need a little assistance showing their family how much they mean to them at the holidays.  
There are plenty of problems close to home, with drugs and domestic abuse, thefts, and burglaries to deal with, just to name a few.  But at the end of the day, we know our first responders are a lot like the rest of us.  They aren’t always perfect, but they give us their best, and you can’t ask for more than that.
The incidents that lead to the displays of rage we’ve witnessed in the media especially in the past six months will require much cooler heads and long-range plans to rebuild relationships between the public and the public servants of those communities.  The Great Bend police and fire departments should be commended for their service.   

--Veronica Coons