When Texas business owner April Killingsworth decided to use the resources of her company, Tangent Signs, to create a thin blue line sticker to place on her car, she unknowingly kicked off a nationwide movement. She placed the sticker on her car and decided to put out a call on Facebook offering free thin blue line stickers to anyone else who wanted them.
The purpose of the sticker is to show support for members of law enforcement, as cops have been getting a hard time lately in the national media due to a few isolated incidents of police misconduct. Killingsworth wanted, in some small way, to show the vast majority of good cops that she appreciated their protection and sacrifices.
She didn’t expect much of a response to her offer. In fact, she only asked her employee to print out five stickers. However, the post went viral on Facebook, and before long, people were pouring in to collect their free stickers and show their solidarity. Even motorcyclists dropped by to adorn their bikes. What really blew the business owner away, though, was when police officers from 40 minutes away started streaming in to buy her stickers. That was when she realized that she had a real phenomenon on her hands.
The movement has been spreading like wildfire, with people all over the country getting in on the symbol in various ways. Some folks are painting thin blue lines on their curbs to indicate that the support of the neighborhood is behind the cops. As this movement continues, it will soon become apparent just how many people in the United States hold a deep respect for the important work that police officers do.