I had no idea.

This is National Police Week, May 11-17. I found out on Thursday when I asked why the flags were at half-staff. Every time a candidate for president tries a desperate new ploy or puts his or her foot in his or her mouth we read (or hear) all about it, but this just slips by.
358 officers killed in the line of duty--181 in the last year--had their names added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial.

Here are their names.

Here is a link to President Bush's Proclamation.

Attorney General Mukasey's remarks included the following:

...The mission of law enforcement is to protect and to serve; for everyone involved in that mission, there is always the potential that protecting and serving can lead to sacrifice. That potential is part of the code honored not only by every officer and agent, but also by every spouse, child, and family member. It is a special burden they bear to give the rest of us the safety and peace we sometimes take for granted...

...Law enforcement is not about badges and uniforms. It is about taking a stand to preserve the rights of our neighbors, and shielding them from danger. The officers listed on these walls stood their ground, did their jobs, and along with their families and friends, paid the highest price. That is the legacy of these brave men and women, and it is a legacy that time cannot diminish.

Part of what irks me about the lack of media attention is that Google has a cutesy logo for all sorts of "special" occasions--today it's a pseudo light show commemorating the first laser--but nothing about National Police Week or the National Law Enforcement Memorial.

Persian New Year, the 50th Anniversary of the Lego Block, Alexander Graham Bell's Birthday...

Maybe they didn't know about it, either.