Brent Hopkins came to the Daily News as a cub reporter with unbounded enthusiasm and a nice touch on light features and grew over the years into a pro who could handle every kind of story, especially those that could touch people’s hearts.
He was an aggressive leader of the newsroom’s union who cared more about the success of the paper than many of the front office executives who ran the paper.
The series of stories he did with photographer Hans Gutknecht about the shooting of LAPD Officer Kristina Ripatti by gang members, the long and painful process of her recovery and finally the joy she and her husband LAPD Officer Tim Pearce felt when she gave birth to a son despite being partially paralyzed was among the best journalism the Daily News produced in recent years.
He captured not only the personal drama of Ripatti but put us all in touch with what it means to be a cop, to be part of a family of officers who put their lives on the line to protect and serve us.
On Friday, Brent Hopkins, the former cub reporter, became a rookie cop. He graduated form the L.A. Police Academy after six months of grueling training. We’re lucky to have people like him keeping us safe.
I think we are awestruck with Brent’s becoming a police officer, just as we are when our child or a neighor’s son or daughter joins the military service. Caring for AMerica and each other is not dead. It is confusing to hear elected officials, know-it-all froemds, and some neighbors cast doubts on the process, but was not America formed in the 1700′s bythe same kind of men who put caring about America first on their lists of “things to do”.
I saw AN AMERICAN CAROL yesterday. It is different compared to the previews of ccoming movies, but thought-provoking. And remember when you go that the older people in the audience were around way back when in the sixties and Vietnam. Those who served in Vietnam were punished for caring about all the rest of us.
It even became the fashion to doubt the Bible.
For shame.
Remember all of this on November 4th and VOTE.
Those who served in Vietnam were punished for caring about all the rest of us.
At the risk of re-opening an old, tired debate, those who stood up against the war cared every bit as much about America and their neighbors.
The same dynamic is at play today. I pick up the newspaper every day and see another 2, 5, 10, 20 young men and women whose lives are being lost in a baseless war in Iraq. Yet opposition to the war is more often than not greeted with an accusation of “not supporting the troops.”
To the contrary, my support for them is boundless. What I don’t support is watching them die pursuing a fool’s errand on behalf of feckless leaders who got us in there on a false premise and now don’t know how to get us out.
But this is probably not the best forum for that debate. This comment string should be about Mr. Hopkins, who deserves congratulations, thanks and respect for his decision to enlist with LAPD.
God willing, the idealism, pride and hope he felt upon graduating the academy will never wane…and in keeping us safe he’ll always remain safe himself…
I read many of Brent’s stories in the paper and was always so impressed with his writing that I looked for a by line. Even though I am sure his departure left a void in the paper, I am happy he’s found his calling and hope that he will be happy and safe.
I in no way assumed that sometimes uncomplicated issues like this may also turn interesting.