In October 1962 U.S. President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 of each year as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week containing May 15 has since been America's National Police Week.

In my home country of Canada, September 30 is set aside to honor Peace Officers who gave their lives in the line of duty. In 1994 the first granite stone was unveiled on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to display the names of 227 policemen who had been killed in the line of duty since 1879. By the end of September 2006 the number of names on Canada's Honor Roll had risen to 715.

The Officer Down Memorial Page Web site is dedicated to honoring America's fallen law enforcement heroes. More than 18,000 officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the United States. With law enforcement becoming an increasingly dangerous profession in most countries of the world, honor pages in memory of fallen police officers have now also been established in Australia, New Zealand and some European countries.

Police Service Dogs have become the courageous, loyal companions of increasing numbers of peace officers. Some of these dogs also die while attempting to keep the peace, just as do many peace officers.

For example, on June 23, 1998, Police Service Dog "Caesar" with his handler responded to a report of a suicidal male armed with a gun. At their arrival on scene the male suspect fired a shotgun into the air.

Police then set up a perimeter to await their tactical unit to arrive. However, the male started walking with his gun towards a nearby school. As he began to cross the school grounds the police officers were forced to take a stand to prevent him from reaching the school itself.

The Police Service Dog "Caesar" was sent forward to attempt to stop the suspect so the police could avoid the use of lethal force. Unfortunately, the male suspect spun around and shot "Caesar" from close range ("Valor Row," Canadian Police Canine Association Web site).

On June 25, 2000, the Police Service Dog "Bandit" along with his police officer handler began tracking a male who had fled a residence and was believed to be armed. As they approached the suspect he stabbed "Bandit" with a knife he had concealed in his sleeve. In spite of his injuries, when the suspect turned his attention towards the police officer, Bandit attacked again and was stabbed a second time, which proved fatal. Bandit's courage and loyalty allowed his police officer handler to avoid being harmed.

Other Canadian police dogs have died by gun shot or stab wounds while assisting or defending their handlers who were attempting to keep the peace. Because of an increasing numbers of deaths in the line of duty, special days have been set aside to honor the men and women peacekeepers and their specially trained dogs that lose their lives in the line of duty.

We should be very grateful for the dedicated peace officers who enforce the law so that we private citizens can enjoy safety and freedom. But isn't it a tragedy that we have to live in a society that needs this type of sacrifice? How sad that a front line of peace keepers must protect us in our own lands, villages, towns and suburbs.

We need to ask ourselves, "Does society have to be this way? Is this really the good life? Is this the way it ought to be?"

Surely there must be a better way.

And there is a better way, a way that our Creator plans to teach to and require of all of mankind under the rule of His Son Jesus Christ when He returns. That better way and the wonderful results it will bring was the central theme of Jesus Christ's gospel (good news) message about the coming Kingdom of God over which He will be the King.