Although I didn't know the five police officers who were killed, or the seven who were wounded in Dallas this week - I really did know them.
They were the folks I grew up with: The boy with the most courage and the most compassion1; the man with a brave heart and a generous soul, whose words were always encouraging; and the son, the son who made his mom proud every time he turned and smiled at her; and the friend you need and count on the guy you always had your back.
Being a cop isn't what they did. It was who they were-like every officer who joined for essentially2 the same reason.
There was something about them that made them think they could help, that they should serve, that they had a duty. So when an assassin's bullet targeted the police force in Dallas, it touched the soul of the nation.
Those killed and wounded were protectin
