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Keller @ Large: Celebration An Appreciation For Law Enforcement

BOSTON (CBS) - I've tried my best to block out the pseudo-controversy over the spontaneous street celebrations last Friday night after the capture of the terror suspect, mainly because it was being peddled by grievance merchants of the left and right who deserve to be ignored as best we can.

No one can read the minds of the people who were out there, even the ones who were chanting "USA." It seemed to me it was mostly a mix of relief that the siege was over and pent-up energy among people who'd been cooped up all day.

If there were a few people in the crowds who didn't comprehend the solemnity of what had just occurred and thought it was just another party, well, there's always a few bad apples in every bunch.

But it's obvious from the videotape that many of those celebrating were doing so in a display of appreciation for the heroic work of law enforcement.

And if you have a problem with that, I guess I have a problem with your opinion.

MIT police officer Sean Collier was laid to rest Tuesday; there will be a memorial service for him Wednesday on the campus, and they expect 10,000 people to show. That tells you something about the special respect we hold in our culture for good cops, and by all accounts, Officer Collier was an excellent one.

Same goes for MBTA police officer Richard Donohue, Jr., who's fighting for his life in the hospital.

These men are our best and brightest. When they were attacked, it was an attack on all of us.

We unfortunately share our communities with some bad actors; most of us fully appreciate how the thin blue line keeps them from trashing our way of life.

So if you don't like the fact that some of us ran into the streets last Friday to high-five law enforcement, too bad. The people that did so get it; their critics do not.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.

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