Heroes Emerge From Nashville Christmas Bombing

By now many of you have seen or heard news of the Christmas Day bombing that rocked downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Early in the morning an RV parked in front of the AT&T building began playing a recording. It advised the public to evacuate the area and said an explosion was imminent. Prior to the bomb going off, there was also a call made that shots were fired in the area. It’s unclear at the time of writing whether this call was made to further clear the area, to draw law enforcement closer to the explosion, or if shots were actually fired.

There are a lot of unanswered questions about this bombing. It does not follow the usual format of any known terrorist groups, religious or racial fanatics, or anti-corporate or anti-government zealots. Because of the recorded warning, only three people were injured by the blast that could have been much more devastating. One set of remains were found in the vicinity, yet it’s still unclear as to whether they belong to a victim of the bombing or the perpetrator himself.

Instead of joining the rotation of theories circling this bombing I’d like to focus on the unsung heroes of the event, as our society rarely does these days.

Despite not knowing whether the recorded warning was accurate in its timing or if the bomb blast would be contained as purported, Nashville police officers went door-to-door evacuating people from the area. They put their own lives on the line to make sure their citizens were safe. Officer Breanna Hosey, Officer James Luellen, Officer Michael Sipos, Officer Amanda Topping, Officer James Wells, and Sergeant Timothy Miller displayed exemplary behavior and showcased some of the selflessness and bravery that the world needs more of. I hope their families and friends are as proud of them as the Nashville Police Chief seems to be. Do I smell a Christmas bonus? A few extra vacation days?? Well, probably not. They don’t do it for the perks or the praise, and that’s part of what makes it so commendable.

Great work, officers. I’m sure the citizens of Nashville are grateful, and all of us sleep a little sounder at night know that there are people like you walking the streets.

It would be nice if we lived in a time where we didn’t need a bombing or some sort of devastating event to highlight the complex nature of a police officer’s job. From drug addicts to child abuse, they see the very worse facets of society in one of the most dangerous and most difficult jobs in America.

Police officers are regular people of all races, shapes, and sizes. My five-foot tall Korean best friend is a police officer who occasionally comes home from a shift covered in bruises from wrestling men twice her size. Literally, because she’s basically a midget. Routine traffic stops turn into drug busts and she often tells me I wouldn’t believe the constant danger and insanity that ensues from a seemingly standard domestic violence call. And we live in one of the safest small towns in America. I can only imagine what cops in larger cities encounter on a daily basis.

San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, New York City. Cities all across America are seeing officers retiring, claiming disability, leaving the force or simply all calling in sick out record numbers. Emergency response times are longer, violent crime has rising. Movements to defund police departments are partly responsible, but political theater that leaves officers without the proper gear to respond to riots are also to blame. Not to mention when officers are targeted for discrimination during their lunch breaks or violent attacks on their homes.

It’s an often thankless job for average pay. I hope we still have brave men and women signing up to do it after this year’s all out attack on law enforcement. Otherwise, we may not have any officers around to knock on doors and evacuate citizens when there’s a bomb sitting on our city streets.