Whenever there is such terrible national news involving law enforcement we are reminded of how lucky we are here in Wallowa County to have friends and neighbors fulfilling the oath to protect and serve.

Our rural way of life here often seems a world apart from the concrete and steel settings we see on TV or read about that are filled with the anger, chaos and violence reaching dangerous levels in our country.

But are we really that removed?

Local law enforcement officers — Enterprise police, the Sheriff’s Office, State Police and others — know the job comes with great risk. They are accustomed to that risk, and equally accustomed to mourning their fallen brethren across the nation. Or sometimes right here in Oregon; just last February, Seaside Sgt. Jason Goodding was killed while trying to arrest a transient on a probation violation warrant.

The Dallas shootings are far from business as usual, however. It’s one thing to place yourself in danger to serve the public. It’s quite another to be randomly targeted and murdered in the streets simply for wearing the badge.

Sadly, that was exactly the fate of Dallas officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Smith, Michael Krol, Patrick Zamarripa and Brent Thompson.

It has been our experience that local enforcement officers tackle their jobs with the utmost respect, even on the rare days when that job has required lethal action. When every second mattered, they stepped up to the responsibility because they had sworn to protect their communities.

These men and women are human, with all of the foibles and frailties of the condition. But we have witnessed them shouldering incredible responsibilities.

They are our neighbors. We see them outside of their jobs, volunteering or competing at the local rodeos, interacting with children and enjoying our local festivals and celebrations. We know their wives, teach their children and often know their family history going back generations.

Shortly before the Dallas shooting, a young boy at the Enterprise Library was holding the door open for other patrons, including new Enterprise Police Chief Joel Fish.

Chief Fish, entering the library, immediately stopped to acknowledge the youngster’s thoughtful actions and gave him a police sticker.

Chief Fish’s wife Katherine said the incident sums up her husband in many ways.

“He feels that children are our future and wants to show the positive side of law enforcement. It’s really hard for law enforcement right now. … We are very thankful to be here (in Wallowa County).”

We all can agree that American citizens shouldn’t be dying during routine traffic stops. We also can agree that officers attempting to keep the peace shouldn’t be targeted by snipers.

The path out of this mess is complex and difficult.. It forces all of us to dig deeper for root causes and re-evaluate our standards for multiple aspects of society. We suspect that most solutions will come at the community level, particularly as our national leaders are so focused on arguing over who is most corrupt.

We’re OK with that. Our community is exceptional, as are our friends and neighbors who are sworn to protect and serve.

This week is an apt time to acknowledge them and offer our profound gratitude for their service.

— Chieftain staff