Taking a page from Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s playbook, we’re attempting to keep our sense of humor during these times. Sometimes, when things seem and feel so ridiculously out of control, laughing is all that is left. Military members and civil servants alike are often accused of having warped senses of humor because of some of the things/stories they find funny. It’s simply coping; because, like Jimmy Buffet says, “If we couldn’t laugh, we […]
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When Choosing Your Battles, Choose ALL of Them
Memorial Day. A day when we reflect on the selfless sacrifices of the countless men and women who gave it all on behalf of an ideal…on behalf of a belief…on behalf of those they’d never met and the generations that would follow them. I always wonder how soldiers, often not even old enough to legally have a beer, found themselves so passionate about our core values and the need to defend them at any price. […]
Continue readingKitchen Nightmare Part II – Spanish Pavillion
Since being featured on Gordon Ramsey’s ‘Kitchen Nightmares’ as a failing family business at war with itself, it seems that little has changed for the Spanish Pavillion; at least as far as management is concerned. Earlier this month, during Teacher Appreciation week, the Harrison (NJ) Education Association teachers banded together and donated food to the Harrison Police Department. Not only did they donate food, they donated enough food to cover every squad for two days. […]
Continue readingCalm in the Storm
Ok. Let’s all push ‘pause’ for a moment and catch our breath. If you came here to have more Covid-19 statistics, projections and scientific mumbo-jumbo shoved down your throats, close your browser now. Let me be very clear from the gate: what you are seeing done by ALL of our mainstream media outlets in regards to covering the Coronavirus is the equivalent to them collectively running into a packed movie theater, yelling “Fire” and then […]
Continue readingCharity is Contagious Too
A friend of mine recently reminded me of a quote: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping” ~Mr. Rogers You can’t legislate charity, no matter how hard you try. The beauty of America and its citizens is that you’ve never had to. The recent events surrounding the Coronavirus has our citizens […]
Continue readingWhen Sponsors are Family
Running a business is difficult. However, running a 501C(3) charity can be mind numbing. Brothers Before Others does not have one paid employee on ‘staff’ and every dollar, resource and minute spent accomplishing what this charity has accomplished has been, in one form or another, donated. That means that BBO, similar to virtually every other charity out there, is in a constant state of fundraising. Brothers Before Others is a law enforcement charity. Our goal […]
Continue readingStranger Than Fiction – Florida Edition
There are many things that contribute to crime being prevented and criminals being caught. More often than not, both occur as a result of the arrogance/ignorance of the offender mixed with some blind luck. The ‘good police work’ comes in how the arrest is effected and the post arrest investigations are conducted. In the post 9/11 era, you’ve seen virtually all law enforcement agencies adopt some form of a ‘See something, say something” campaign, basically […]
Continue readingBrothers Before Others Remembers – New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster
It feels like I’m constantly giving the same disclaimers but, what the hell, here we go again. Brothers Before Others is a national law enforcement 501C(3) charity comprised of active/retired sworn law enforcement personnel. Every minute, dollar and ounce of energy dedicated to the work being done, including the articles and posts written on our public social media platforms, are the product of donations. From our President/Founder down, there is not one paid employee of […]
Continue readingThe Parting Glass – A Farewell to a Fallen Hero
If you pop into a bar in anywhere USA in the days following a line of duty death, there is good chance you will find a lone glass placed in front of an empty chair; usually accompanied by a short handwritten note. The ‘parting glass’. The concept of the parting glass has been around since the late 1600’s/early 1700’s. As a family member or loved one was preparing to leave a gathering, they were given […]
Continue reading‘A Night to Unite’ – A Night for the Ages
Now that a few weeks have passed and Thanksgiving is in the rearview, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to recap what was, hands down, one of the most amazing law enforcement gatherings in recent times. Already monsters in the law enforcement and charity games, when Brothers Before Others Founder/President Michael Burke joined forces with The Blue Magazine CEO Daniel Del Valle and Moment of Silence Inc. President Steve Olimpio, a perfect storm was created. With help […]
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