HEALING, THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

As we celebrate our victory

And offer up our toast

Let us not forget

Who matters the most 

The citizens of Clay County

Deserve our very best

We must all come together

We must forget all the rest  

In just a few hours, the 2008 Clay County Sheriff’s race will be history. For the Sheriff’s Office to function, the healing process must begin immediately, for when all is said and done, every employee truly is a member of one family. Patrol or detention, civilian or sworn, we must all unite in the spirit of cooperation to insure that the Sheriff’s Office provides the quality service that our employer, the citizens of Clay County, deserve and depend on.

As with all families, there are rifts within ours and there are wounds, on both sides. Some are deeper than others are and will take much longer to heal. Some are self-inflicted. No matter what side you were on, no wound is any more or any less important, they all need to be healed. There are some however, that will not allow their wounds to heal and for that, I am truly saddened. There are those that may go elsewhere. To them I wish you good luck.

During the course of this fray, I have issued numerous challenges but tonight I issue the most difficult yet most critical challenge of all. It is a challenge to every family member of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, regardless of your loyalties today. On August 27, let us all unite for the common good. Let us put our differences aside and serve our citizens as the true professionals that we are. If you cannot do that, perhaps you should seek other employment. Where there needs to be forgiveness, let there be forgiveness. Where there needs to be reconciliation, let us reconcile and let us harmonize to support our Sheriff.  Let no one turn his or her back to the hand extended in reconciliation, friendship or cooperation.

Let none of us forget, it is not about the Sheriff, it is not about the command staff, it is not about the bureau chiefs, it is not about the supervisors, it is not about any of us, it is not about union or non-union. It is now and it must remain about the CITIZENS OF CLAY COUNTY. 

For our Sheriff to endure, and ultimately for the Sheriff’s Office to endure, we must all remain Semper Fideles, ALWAYS FAITHFUL.

There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited.  

                   Sun Tzu