Brothers and Sisters,

Another year has passed but much remains the same. This past year has seen so many of our Brothers and Sisters killed in the line of duty, we have seen so many assaulted, we have even seen them subjected to criminal charges that seem based on public opinion as opposed to the guidelines of the law. It seems that sometimes all we have is bad news beating us down each day.

However, we need to know and remember we still have a lot to be thankful for:

• Things like great FOP staff and attorneys who stand ready to help represent us
• Things like outstanding local leaders who do the hard work of the FOP every day
• Things like an awesome state and national organization who are fighting the fights on our behalf in the Statehouse and in Congress
• We need to be thankful for the thousands and thousands of supporters who stand by us, even when the media and activists are attacking us from every angle
• We are thankful for the FOP and all the members who choose to stand united with their Brothers and Sisters in all of this adversity
• We are thankful that Ohio and Cleveland were able to host the Republican National Convention flawlessly this summer
• We are thankful for countless numbers of law enforcement officers who still suit up and go to work every day to stand between good and evil, even when many do not understand or appreciate what that means or what that does to us physically and mentally

Most importantly, we are thankful for God's protection over all of us while we serve!

If you are fortunate enough to be with your family this Thanksgiving, please remember those who are working to provide the safety and protection to make that possible, both in Law Enforcement and in our Armed Forces.

Please know that the FOP is thankful for all of our members and we are thankful for all that our members do for our communities every day.

Jay McDonald

President - Ohio FOP