US Foreword

What a time to be alive. Traditionally that statement is used in a celebratory way to champion success or memorable moments. Well, in this case, I can say that the first half of 2020 has certainly been memorable.

We’ve had raging wildfires, melting polar caps, murder hornets, a global health pandemic, and social-political protests, that have at times turned violent. Did I mention that was all in the first half of the year? As we enter the latter, I have to believe that things will get better, however our profession lives by the creed, “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” As such, I do spend quite a bit of time thinking about, what’s next? I mean how do you top murder hornets? (With that said, I did just watch a video someone sent me of an eagle plucking a shark out of the ocean and carrying it away!)

In all seriousness, every generation has had adversity, and a byproduct of that is, it has produced stronger individuals that are battle-tested. That’s actually the one thing about experience, good or bad, it can never be taken from you. These days we are encountering challenges left and right, but it is how we respond to those challenges which will set us apart. In the future we will be able to look back with the benefit of hindsight, and be able to critique not only our own actions but the actions of others. However, at this moment we exist not in the future, or the past, but in the NOW.

As a community of protectors, we come into this field knowing that we will have to make sacrifices, and experience discomfort. We bring a measure of aggression with us, as it can be a necessary requirement to achieve our objectives. What we also must bring with us is the power to reason. If the previous 6 months have been any indication, 2020 still has some tricks up its sleeve; some that may challenge our current way of thinking or ideology. I ask that we all take a moment to breath before we react. When this is all over, the one thing we don’t want to be, is on the wrong side of history.

Elijah Shaw

Editor