A fallen trooper

The somber emotions of Thursday's funeral in Dexter, Mo., for Sgt. Dewayne Graham were reflected in the eyes of the uniformed law enforcement officers who came to pay their respects for a fallen state highway patrol trooper whose life ended when he was shot two times earlier this week outside his rural Van Buren, Mo., home.

There is a special sadness that accompanies the death of those whose lives are daily at risk in the pursuit of safety for the rest of us. A fallen officer receives special and well-earned tributes from family and friends, but most of all from colleagues who wear badges and guns to defend the laws that protect us.

Sgt. Graham's circle of colleagues stretched from Cape Girardeau, where he received a criminal justice degree at Southeast Missouri State university, to Dexter, where he grew up, to Van Buren, where he hoped his son could enjoy a carefree childhood in the forested hills along the spring-fed streams.

"He was no superhero, just a common guy who worked hard and believed in what he was doing," his father said in an interview after Graham's body was discovered, still in uniform, outside his home. "I couldn't be more proud of him."

All of Southeast Missouri shares this father's pride. And we salute all of the men and women who in ways large and small make our world a better place to live by upholding our laws.