If you’re not already fans, let me tell you about the CBS hit TV show: Blue Bloods. The show features great acting (Tom Selleck & Donnie Wahlberg are among the cast members), and exceptional writing.
That’s what I love about the show – the writing and the story lines; they are very realistic and true-to-life. It shows the struggles and frustrations of everyday police work and shows them at their very best and when they mess up.
It’s shot in and takes place in New York City and Tom Selleck plays the role of Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, the head of a 3-generation law & order family. There’s about 3 or 4 story lines going on in every episode and in just about every episode Frank Reagan is faced with a damned if you do, damned if you don’t dilemma. As the viewer, you get to witness his thought processes and see him work the problem through to a viable conclusion. These are great lessons for anyone interested in the study of leadership.
Most of the Reagans are cops except for the daughter, (Bridget Moynahan) who plays the part of Erin Reagan-Boyle, a dedicated, by-the-book Assistant District Attorney, who sometimes fights her brother, Detective First Grade Danny Reagan, (Donnie Wahlberg) on procedural matters. Some of the Reagan clan live with Frank Reagan in his home including his father, (Len Cariou) who plays the former NYC PC (Police Commissioner).
All episodes feature a once-a-week dinner scene with the entire family and those are my favorite, especially when they pray together. The dinner conversation is very authentic and sometimes, you can feel the tension at the table as it shows how stressful police work can be.
It’s hard for me to fathom how the current real life mayor of New York City, Bill DeBlasio, squares with a show like Blue Bloods. In a recent newspaper headline, a former backer of the mayor, multi-millionaire, Don Peebles, said the mayor is anti-police, anti-student and anti-business. Mr. Peebles is the owner of the largest African-American run real estate company and is considering a run against the mayor in 2017.
Mr. Peebles who describes himself as a pro-business Democrat accused DeBlasio of being a “divisive Socialist” and went on to criticize the mayor on his chat with his son Dante, about how to act if approached by cops. “That was disrespectful”, Peebles said. “What he should have been saying is that the NYPD is the best police department in the country.”
Blue Bloods makes no such assertion, but if you’re looking for intelligent and exceptionally well scripted dramatic TV programming, this is a show the entire family can watch.
With Faith there is hope. And with hope we can all live in a pluralistic, inclusionary democracy that is respectful off all its citizens. Regardless of your party affiliation, be in favor of inclusionary politics, not divisive politics. Divisive politics does just that; it divides us one against the other. Be in favor of the rule of law; without law and order we start to crumble as a society.
PW