"Please, Don't Let Hate Infect Your Hearts"

This man's name is Montrell Jackson. He died one year ago today, along with two other officers, in an ambush shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I had the extraordinary privilege of knowing him and working with him for a mere four months. In that time I came to respect him and hope that we would become friends. He exemplified all of the values that I respect, admire and to which I strive.

A lot has been written about him in the media. He has received the attention and respect that a fallen hero should receive. This is a picture of him with his son Mason. Have you ever seen a prouder father? I only met his wife, Trenisha, after his death. She has impressed me with her grace and poise through such a difficult time. She called him her Superman, and he always told me that she was too good for him.

This is how I remember him. He was a huge man, and would have been easily intimidating if it wasn't for how much he laughed. His laugh filled a room and was infectious. Man, it was hard not to like him.

My company put up this sign in his memory. I was very proud the day we did this.

Montrell's last Facebook post dealing with the aftermath of the Alton Sterling shooting went viral. I do not want to include the whole thing here. You can easily look it up if you are interested, but this post is about Montrell and I want to focus on him. In his post he asked "Please, don't let hate infect your heart." This is an incredibly powerful message, and I think it has made me a better person. I think its important that more people hear it.

The opposite of hate is love, and this man loved others. John 15:13 says "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." And that is exactly what Cpl. Montrell Jackson did.

 He was one of us, a lurker. Imgur has an amazing history of remembering heroes that gave their life to protect others. I am asking that Imgur help me remember this man, spread his memory and message of love, and NEVER FORGET.

Thank you for taking a moment to read this.