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In 1967, “Gunsmoke” was canceled due to declining television ratings.

But, if Matt Dillon was on the range today, he would be a shoo-in for President of the United States. America needs a man like Matt Dillion.

What? US Marshall Matt Dillion? Killed folks: And to that, he would say they needed killin’.

But Matt Dillion was man who was in control, no matter the situation. He kept law and order if it meant closing down Dodge City. He kept law and order if it meant haulin’ a friend off to jail; walking a friend’s son to the gallows at Hayes or chasing lawless gangs out of town with bullets fast behind them.

Why, Matt Dillon would even stand Kitty up for the weekend barn dance before he slacked off on his duty.

Matt Dillon had no prejudices—Indians, cattle rustlers, half-breeds, trappers and buffalo hunters, loose women and hill people. The downtrodden. They all deserved to be treated justly and he saw to it that they were.

The marshal even had no reservations about putting ill-tempered women behind bars.

The law was the law. It was his duty to uphold it; not interpret.

Matt Dillon used his fist and six-gun to keep law and order in an old-west town.

And, he did.

But, there was another side to Matt Dillion. He cared about people. In his own way, he showed compassion when settlers lost those their homes, when a mother lost her baby or man lost is leg or child lost his dog and even when a man lost his sense of being. When the spirt of the people themselves was lost, Marshall Dillon was there to pick them up.

Matt Dillon surrounded himself with law abiding people, with compassionate people and with those who stood for what was right and good –Doc, Chester, Clint, Miss Kitty and Sam.

Matt Dillion was rough and tough and upheld the law without question. Right was right and wrong was wrong and, for him, there was no in-between.

Right now, America appears to be in-between.  Doc would shake his head unknowingly “We’ll just have to wait and see.”