As sheriffs around the state of Louisiana take the oath of office this weekend and begin a new or first term, it is important to remember that theirs isn’t the only elected office that is concerned with the safety of the citizens.

Regardless of the perception of the responsibilities of the office in question, it boils down to the elected official being tasked with protecting something for the citizens of that region. This goes back to the basic reason for government, which is to implement the rule of law to protect citizens from one another in the course of business and daily life.

In the case of a sheriff, it is easy to see how that person’s job is related to protecting the citizens. However, I would argue that even an assessor is tasked with protecting the safety of the citizens’ property and protecting its value. In addition, the clerk of court is responsible for the protection and safety of all legal transactions that take place in that municipality.

The parish president or mayor and the council have to provide safe streets, clean drinking water, good sanitation and adequate emergency response in times of need. The ribbon cuttings, speeches and fresh landscaping don’t matter if your kids aren’t safe and if there is a general feeling of uneasiness throughout the community.

In all of the back and forth of American politics we seem to forget the president’s number one job is that of commander in chief, to protect and defend the citizens of the United States from enemies both foreign and domestic.

The current fight over the Arizona immigration law basically boils down to a disagreement on what is the right way to protect people – both Americans and illegal immigrants. On one side, Sheriff Joe Arpaio believes the only way to protect the people of south Arizona is by checking the papers of those he considers to be illegal, and the Obama Justice Department is trying to protect the rights of normal American citizens from unlawful search and seizure.

As we welcome new sheriffs into their positions and fight amongst ourselves in this coming election cycle, let us remember that we are fighting to determine who will be the best to protect our selves, our livelihoods, and the future of our children. I find that politicians who lose favor with their people often got so caught up in the day-to-day activities of the office job that they forgot to do their number one job: protect their people.

The last bite…

Last week, I got to dine at Galatoire’s Restaurant in the French Quarter. The meal was cheap, $30, but the food was amazing. The main course was an almond encrusted trout. However, the real treat of the evening was the massive dessert, which ended up being a warm banana bread pudding muffin that was the size of a small cake! The banana pudding was topped with a sweet rum sauce that cascaded down the side and puddled on the plate, and then fresh slices of banana were tossed on top. The top of the pudding was baked to a crust but the inside was buttery soft bread that pulled apart at the gentlest tug of the fork. I give Galatoire’s 4.5 out of 5 crumbs!

Buddy Boe, a resident of Garyville, owns a public relations and program management company and is well known on the local political (and food) scenes. His column appears Wednesdays in L’Observateur.