Brenda Ruiz - Helping All People Live Well

 Today’s guest is Officer Brenda Ruiz, the inspiration for the The Giving Notes Project song written by Emily Roig. Brenda and I talk about how her life experience became the subject of Emily’s song, what major event led her down the path to becoming a police officer, and the challenges that she faced as a woman and Hispanic officer in the City of Richmond. I can’t tell you the amount of respect and admiration I have for her and the rest of the CMT officers who stood on the front line during the riots in Richmond, 2020. And yes, I mean riots. Widespread damage, destruction and violence are riots. They can’t be spun otherwise. But like Brenda and the ton of other cops I know say, we all support peaceful protest for change. Period. There are many stories in the press about cops who have left law enforcement since 2020, but like Brenda, there are even more officers who stay in the field because they love what they do. And what do they love to do? Help people and through their dedication and service, let people in all communities live well.We’re all in this world together. Let’s all work together to make our world a place where living well is the norm, not the exception.Thanks for listening.