LAW ENFORCEMENT: Andy Heffner of Ormsby called with a thought to add to Friday’s column about National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.

Regarding a list of ways to show support to officers, Andy added, “Teach your children to be obedient to the law.”

He recalls being taught good citizenship in elementary school.

A police officer, Johnny Colosimo, would come in each year and teach students, “Remember, if a police officer tells you to stop, you obey. If he tells you to put your hands behind your back, you obey.” Not obeying, the officer explained, would only cause you more trouble in the end.

“He was a heck of a good cop,” Andy said. “The kids all liked him.” He added the officer would always make the talks fun.

The officer would call jail “the birdcage,” and he brought his handcuffs and billy club. He’d say, “When I tell you to stop, you better stop,” Andy said.

Mr. McKean, fireman, for years would come in and teach students good citizenship skills too, such as not to play with matches, write on walls or throw garbage in the street, Andy related.

Andy’s afraid the days of learning how to be a good citizen in school are over.

He told a story about working with a school teacher one summer, and when the subject came up, she replied, “That’s not our responsibility,” meaning the teachers’ responsibility.

Andy tells us, “I believe it’s everybody’s responsibility.”

He is worried about the disregard youths seem to have for authority figures, and he urged parents and grandparents to take on the responsibility of showing children how to be good citizens.

He’s had relatives in the police force over the years and said, “It becomes the most disgusting job because no one respects you.”

Andy was in the pharmacy recently, and a woman there told him she remembered Officer Colosimo coming in to talk to her class, too. He thought that was neat.