I spent nearly 30 years in public service as a law enforcement officer, having the honor and privilege of serving over 24 years as an FBI Special Agent defending our Constitution and protecting the American people. The oath I took was to protect and defend our Constitution which never included any allegiance to any individual; but rather an allegiance and commitment to seeking the truth, justice, and equality for fellow citizens. I chose a life in public service as a law enforcement officer because I wanted to help people. The majority of the brave men and women serving in law enforcement have this same motivation and desire.

The "law and order" the president speaks of today does not reflect the principles of the rule of law I had the responsibility and duty of upholding and that has guided our democracy for nearly 250 years. To be an advocate of law and order, one must first respect our laws and secondly, respect the brave men and women who the citizens have entrusted with the responsibility of providing law and order in our society. Over the past nearly four years, we have observed repeatedly the president demean and belittle our law enforcement agencies and intelligence community, and personnel.

The president seems to believe his mantra of "law and order" can be used to pit law enforcement against the citizenry to achieve a desired political outcome. Our law enforcement and intelligence community must remain apolitical, independent and non-partisan, and never used by any political party in power against opponents or the American people. We cannot forget that the brave men and women serving in law enforcement are fellow citizens - fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters who face many challenges and place themselves in harm's way to protect and serve their communities.

Our fundamental constitutionally protected rights - the freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, and the right to bear arms - freedoms of which neither can be allowed to intimidate fellow Americans or weaken our trust in law and order. There is no justification for looting, arson, and the destruction property - violence perpetrated no matter the extremist group responsible. Just as there is no justification for firearms to be used to intimidate fellow citizens in our open, public places. As Americans, just as we must support fellow citizens - African Americans and communities of color - by recognizing their struggle for racial and social justice, we must also support our law enforcement. Despite the rhetoric we hear, this does not have to be an either-or proposition. I believe in my fellow citizens in PA-13 that we can support the struggle for justice and equality in our society, as well as law enforcement.

As we have seen recently with the arrests of American citizens plotting an act of domestic terrorism targeting a sitting governor and law enforcement, the president's rhetoric does have tremendous influence. Having law and order in our country is a good thing. But when it is used as a political wedge to cause fear and divide us, it only weakens us as a country and erodes the principles of our democracy.

I believe the hardworking families of Adams County and across PA-13 deserve truthful, competent leadership that seeks to make us safer, not fearful; that unites us, not divides us.

Todd Rowley is the Democratic Nominee for Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District (PA-13). PA-13 includes Adams, Bedford, Blair, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties, and portions of Cambria, Cumberland,
and Westmoreland counties.

Prior to his 24-year career as an FBI Special Agent, Todd served as a State Trooper/Flight Paramedic with the Maryland State Police. He was born in Cumberland, MD and raised on a farm in Meyersdale, Somerset County PA.
He and his family currently reside in Donegal Township, Westmoreland County.