Last month, two police officers were shot in the line of duty in Miami after attempting to serve an arrest warrant. The shooter, Johnny Simms, was also killed in the shootout.
Not very moved? Not surprising. Quite a few people harbor negative feelings toward the police. Most of us possess some degree of wariness when we encounter law enforcement. We slow down whenever we spot a police vehicle flashing its red and blue lights. And some of us have had those pesky speeding tickets that make us cringe in memory.
However, the fact is that most of us rely on police officers for safety. We hate them when we’re the target of their policing. But, when we’re the victim of a crime, we turn to them for help.
Some dislike the police because of their attitude. However, if you want to know why some police are so embittered, talk to a veteran. My uncle has been a police officer for almost two decades, patrolling the Bronx. He’s told me outrageous stories, some funny, some sad, some just plain crazy. These officers have seen humanity’s dark side, and a good amount burn out because they can’t stand seeing just how cruel we can be to each other.
Imagine facing the possibility that, when you say goodbye to your loved ones in the morning, you might be saying it for the last time. These officers face that possibility every day.
We despise cops for their faults, but we forget their good deeds. If someone breaks into your home, who’s the first person you call? If you’re being stalked by an ex, who do you turn to? We hate the police until we need them.
On one of the darkest days in this country, 9/11, it was police officers who were running into the Twin Towers when everyone else was running out. And they paid for their bravery with their lives. Twenty-three NYPD officers died that day.
Today, nearly a thousand more are dead or dying because of illnesses they contracted from the explosions. These officers spent months after 9/11, digging through the rubble, searching for bodies in order to give peace to the families, to us. As we moved on with our lives, going to work and school, they stumbled upon their own in the devastation they immersed themselves in.
And this is how we honor their brothers, their sacrifice?
I’m not saying that we give them absolute power to do anything they wish. However, police officers have earned the right to not fear for their lives. And I’m asking you to remember that, for all the negative inclinations you may have toward them, if you are ever attacked, they are the first people you’ll call.
We forget their service and take advantage of their protection. Hate the speeding ticket but not the person who gives it to you. You might one day call on that person to save your life. And they’ll always be there.
