Wouldn't you be on edge every time you walked up to a car even for a routine traffic stop in the wake of the "Black Lives Matter" anti-police protests where they angrily chant phrases such as, "Pigs in a blanket fry them like bacon."? Please don't cast a blanket of judgment on these men and women in blue. Those of us who have never spent a day in their shoes don't realize what each day looks like for them.
These community servants kiss their families goodbye everyday not knowing what their shift will hold. Can you imagine getting a call to talk someone out of committing suicide, or coming up on a scene where someone did take his/her life, maybe even a young child? Can you fathom pulling up on the scene of a horrible wreck where not only the vehicles are mangled but the people too? What about having to enter a situation where a house or business is being broken into? How about the feeling you would have looking for a lost or abducted child or performing CPR on a child in front of a distraught parent or being the person called to a horrible freak accident where a child has been killed? What does it feel like having to give chase to someone in the dark of night who may or may not be armed or getting a call to a domestic violence situation or a homicide? What would your feelings be like as you were given the responsibility for protecting people who "peacefully" protest against you?
Just think about it for a minute. These men and women are just like everyone else with feelings and emotions. We expect them to be all things to all people. In a matter of a few hours they may need to be a soft hand to a scared child, then immediately have to turn around and race to a potentially deadly situation, and after that they may take a call to help an elderly person with car trouble, and then to finish the day off they may get a call to a domestic dispute. What an enormous amount of things to process. Added to it all is the fact that they are hated by many and the uniform they wear is now a target on their backs.
How dare anyone judge the men and women who are called to serve and protect. Are there bad cops out there? Sure there are, but I would venture to say that 99.9% of the men and women who wear the badge are honest fair-minded people. Think about it, police officers at their core are servant leaders. They have servant hearts. I imagine most of them dreamed of having the title of police officer even as a young child. They want to help people. They live to serve others.
These officers don't wake up thinking, "Oh, good I may get to shoot someone today." My goodness, "No." They leave for work ready to serve and protect. Before they walk out the door they probably visit with their spouse and children. They may talk about their son's baseball game later that day or they may talk to their daughter about a school project she needs help with. Or they may ask what needs to be picked up at the grocery store on the way home that day. They are just regular people. Good people. They wake up, get dressed and go to work with the hopes of coming home that night to hug and kiss their family members again.
Again, I ask that you not pass judgment on these brave men and women. What if we didn't have them to help us, to protect us? The world would look like a much different place. Listen, there are always going to be "Monday morning quarter backs." Unfortunately, there will always be people who hate.
I challenge you to honestly answer these questions that I posed earlier and see if it makes you think of police officers differently. But no matter how you feel about them they will still be there ready to take your call if you are in need.
God bless all the police officers who protect and serve! I for one am forever grateful for all of you!
