Editor's Point of View

2021 is off to a quick and promising start! At Blue Magazine, we continue to move ahead at breakneck speeds while ensuring we bring you the most current and vital topics every issue. We have many great ideas and initiatives planned for the year ahead. So as we say goodbye to 2020, we welcome 2021 and are glad you are here with us to continue to advocate for our profession.

The devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdown has severely limited our ability to gather and continue our Blue suicide events, therefore, we are featuring this crucial topic again on our cover to promote awareness and keep the conversation going. Our profession has lost far too many great officers from Blue suicide. We must all work together to help reduce Blue suicide. Be sure to check out our cover story. And should you be that officer battling despair or contemplating suicide, you can always reach out to us (as many have in the past), and we will do our best to help you. Your life is worth it. We need you here.

Lately, I have received many calls to respond to the collapse of security at the Capitol Building on Jan. 6. Most of those asking for a response are slyly looking for Blue Magazine to condemn the Capitol Police Department’s leadership actions. Although we see many issues that are worth discussing, at this time, we choose to commend and honor the fine officers on the frontline who risked their lives to defend against the mob. They did an excellent job with limited manpower and resources. We know they are grieving the tragic loss of Officers Brian Sicknick and Liebengood. We offer our most profound and deepest condolences. We will hold off on commentary — the Monday morning quarterbacking — to allow the officers to grieve and bury their fallen officers. Not everything needs an immediate response. Those kind of click-bait insensitive motives are for the immoral folks at the ratings- and money-driven corporate media. We exist to support law enforcement. To each Capitol officer on the frontlines, we are with you!

Has anyone noticed how toxic social media has been lately? Unfortunately, the constant stream of meal pictures is now replaced with so-called friendly people acting like complete lunatics over politics. Many people are easily led by the corporate media’s news cycle and seldom think independently and commit to intellectual honesty. This creates a toxic environment where users are attacking each other over issues they have very little control over. If you fall into this distraction trap, take back your time spent on social media and enjoy life with your family and those worthy of your time. Your life is more important than spending hours a day arguing on social media. 

And lastly, remember there are two days of every week you should never worry: yesterday and tomorrow. Enjoy this issue of Blue Magazine.

Until next time!

George Beck, Ph.D.
Editor-in-Chief