Hi Dr. Laura,
Your description of the movie, "71 Into the Fire", about the student-soldiers who fought in the Korean War touched my heart, along with your reaction to it. It reminded me of my journey to accept the fact that my baby girl was going to be a police officer.
My girl was in her early 20's when she announced to us that she had been accepted into the police academy. My husband fought it tooth and nail; He tried every manipulation he could think of to get her to not go.
I sat down quietly and thought about it. Then I watched every YouTube video I could find on police getting shot during a routine traffic stop. I cried for days, I prayed for a peaceful heart, then and I wished her good luck.
She is now 26, and a detective in domestic violence. She tells us of call outs that make our blood run cold all while keeping the details private. Her fellow officers deal with it by drinking and being stupid. Dr. Laura, I listen to her because she doesn't drink - never has. She doesn't gamble, do drugs, have wild sex - none of it. The only way she has to decompress is to share it with someone who respects her lifestyle choices. So I take her calls, listen and am glad she lived to call me after another watch.
About a year ago, a movie came out, "End of Watch". It’s about life on the streets for 2 police officers in drug ridden LA. I asked my daughter if it was true to life, she said close. I watched that movie and wept bitterly as one of the heroes was killed. Wow, a movie really can bring home the dangers of what our heroes face, it’s hard when those heroes are our children.
I'm reading a book, The Road to Virtue with Tolkien and Lewis. The author talks about how our culture is being lost because our children don't have these epic tales told to them that teach morals, values and virtue. The movies you, Dr. Laura, recommend, turn back the clock on that. They teach us what should matter in life.
Thank you for finding that fine line between personal sharing and privacy in your life. It adds to the sense of family that we get from you.
Take care and happy day!
Lisa
