I have watched the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and it tells me something we do not want to admit. We are normalizing contempt and calling it politics.
Political violence is evil. Cheering it is cowardice. The only way back is to choose logic, accountability, and faith over theater.
September is Suicide Awareness Month, and I have seen what silence and stigma do to people I care about. The same dynamic is hitting our profession. Bury the pain, perform for the cameras, and pretend things are fine while the people doing the work carry the cost. That is not leadership. That is neglect.
I have spent almost two decades in law enforcement. I have not always agreed with former Sheriff Alex Villanueva. I do now. If I could vote, he would have mine.
He has a plan, he has experience, and he wants to be a voice. He is not interested in placating Los Angeles County politics. He wants solutions, not another round of throwing endless dollars at the same problems. He wants to be a voice for deputies who are getting sh*t on, stepped on, and then insulted with contract news that means nothing on the line. The status quo is not working, and everyone knows it.
Camaraderie is frayed. Staffing is thin. Morale is bruised. Public safety pays when leadership becomes press releases instead of presence. You do not fix that by spinning numbers. You fix it by standing in front of your own people, answering tricky questions, protecting the innocent, holding wrongdoers accountable, and funding what actually saves lives. You fix it with real training, predictable schedules, and reachable mental health support after critical incidents. You fix it by drawing a bright line between politics, the Sheriff’s Department, and the mission of keeping people safe.
So here is my line in the sand. Condemn violence. Stop using deputies as props or punching bags. Fund staffing, training, and genuine deputy wellness. Publish transparent data on crime, response, time to care, and outcomes so we fix what is broken and keep what works. Stand in front of your own people, answer hard questions, and build trust the only way it is built, which is face to face.
Faith keeps me from hardening into cynicism. I was raised Catholic, and I follow Jesus while honoring those roots. Faith tells me to love my enemies and pray for those who persecute me. It also tells me to speak truth, defend the weak, and reject hatred disguised as virtue. Logic and accountability are not enemies of compassion. They are the guardrails that let compassion work.
If there is one thing you can take from Charlie Kirk, take this. He was a voice. He stood firm in his beliefs. You do not have to agree with every word to see the courage in that. We need that courage now. Say no to the spiral. Say yes to leaders who will show up, tell the truth, and deliver outcomes you can see and measure. Faith over rage. Duty over theater. Accountability over slogans. That is how we honor the fallen, support our deputies, and give this county the public safety it deserves.
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