Yesterday was a sad day in Pittsburgh. The funeral for three police officers shot last weekend was yesterday at the Peterson Events Center here on campus. I wanted to share this with you because I know it has been widely covered, and was very emotional here.
Having the Funeral on campus required some major traffic revisions, which made it impossible to be on campus and not notice. All day long the 5 lane street (5th Ave) that run in front of my building was closed to traffic. This was so that three of those lanes could be filled in with parked police cars from all across the country- and this street was closed for a mile. It was really touching so see so many officers would come to make this kind of statement of support. Many businesses were closed out of respect, and students avoided the rolling lawns along this streets giving the whole campus a subdued feel.
The remaining two lanes were left open for the funeral procession. Holy Thursday Mass at the Cathedral was beginning shortly before the procession entered Oakland, and the tolling of the bells quieted the assembled crowds. As the police escort came in to view, I felt so much sadness that was really difficult to express, but the crowds lining the procession route began to applaud. Only one of the families was visible from their car, and there was a tearful wife waving gratefully at the supportive crowd.
We've talked about this in lab a lot. Our soldier friend was federal cop at the VA hospital before his redeployment, and it is unnerving to think that he might be less safe in his job at home then he is in his deployment.
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I want to say what a relief it is to me that you all can still be touched by such a tragedy. Sometimes it seems like its just another headline, another cop down, whatever, isn't life a bitch...These are real people with real lives and families. They are all part of our larger family and need to be remembered so that we can retain our humanity. So I am glad for your vulnerability and pleased with your lack of cynicsm and in that, sorry for your sadness and loss. Strange to feel like I can visulaize the scene right down to the bells whose tower we had climbed to meet the composer of our new bishop's "theme song". We remember that this is Easter weekend and cause for us to believe in eternal hope for these fallen, and all our beloved. We love you, sweetie.
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