I don't normally link these blogs up but I am going to be honest, I got so many positive comments on Twitter to this blog that I felt like even though this isn't a recipe or craft or fun blog, it was absolutely my favorite blog this week and I needed to share, for those that care about this topic. So just know, this is more a need not a want.
I am going to be honest, I am not objective on this subject. I have one sibling who walks this earth and that sibling wears a badge. I could not be prouder of the person my sibling is or the career chosen, by God, for my sibling to work.
My sibling is an honest, loving, dedicated individual. There aren't sick days or bad days for my sibling. There can't be. There are 6 kids at home that need my sibling to return every night along with a spouse, mother, and sister, just to name a few. So understand that for me, for my nieces and nephews sake, and that of my family, my view of police is to support them 100%. That doesn't mean I don't think some of the issues are not valid. That means I believe that 99.9% of the men and women who walk the line are walking it the right way.
See, I know that police are real people. I know that police are only human and they live a stressful job. I have heard stories for years about the generally crazy people that my sibling has met at work. Some stories are funny, actually hilarious, like the lady who thought aliens or the government had bugged her house. Nobody tells a better story than my sibling. Nobody has a bigger heart either, even if you don't see it.
I also know the reality is that when I get pulled over that officer doesn't know if I have a weapon. I behave appropriately. I know not to make any stupid moves. Pull out your license and registration and sit still. I know to be respectful and say "yes and no" and occasionally "Sir or Ma'am". I don't behave like the world owes me something and the police are taking it from me, either. I believe the world owes me, you, and everyone else nothing so I am not walking around with a chip on my shoulder and a target on police.
I realize that every time they step out that door in uniform they are required to uphold the law. The law regardless of race, religion, or personal beliefs, is the law. Break the law you go to jail. Resist arrest and charge a police officer you risk the officer feeling you are a threat and you may get shot. Police are not taught to shoot to injure, they are taught to shoot to kill.
Shoot to kill:
If you deal with people all day long you know there are rational and reasonable people, there are emotionally crazy people and there are just pure lunatics. Too bad they don't wear signs so the officer can tell who is really crazy, who is temporarily crazy and who just seems crazy.
With all the media attention on the recent events, police have gotten a bad name. Police who have to make life or death decisions in a split second. Police who know when they walk out the door, they may not walk back in. As an average citizen, I realize that if I run from the police, give them reason to be suspicious of me, or attack them, I take my life in my own hands. With a few exceptions, I do not believe the police acted in any way other than what they had to in the events that lead to the unfortunate death of normal people. By the way, the media attention is focused on only one side of the police shootings. There are police that die too. When was the last time that made the national news? I could go on about the media and their culpability in the misinformation they promote, but I won't.
In the end, you see, officers are human. Officers who deal with too much crap. There are terrorists out there walking among us. There is organized crime everywhere. There are domestic disturbance where you never know how unhinged people are. There are kids carrying guns to be cool to school. Even this morning, in the small town I live in, as I dropped off my step-daughter, there was an officer circling the middle school. My guard immediately went up. That isn't normal. Why are they circling? Is there a threat? The police were there to protect the kids and I knew, if an officer is in uniform they are on duty. They will protect and serve.
I made the mistake once while traveling with my sibling of telling someone my sibling was a police officer. The individual I told, it turns out, was about to go to prison for stealing a truck...a semi. My sibling wasn't in uniform so nothing said "Police". Luckily it turned out okay but it was a stupid thing to do. You never know how a person could flip. What was an innocent comment, could have ended up ugly. My sibling did not have a gun if someone pulled one. My sibling had no way to protect anyone. That is a reality if you are a police officer.
So why do it? I don't know. It is a thankless job. People yell profanity at you, spit on you, treat you like crap. Are police cocky? Sure, most are, they have to be. You must have a really thick skin to be an officer of the law. You can't take the negativity personally. You must be constantly on guard because criminals don't wear name tags.
People become unhinged over nothing. Don't think so? Look back on your last fight with your spouse, significant other, best friend, or mother. What was it about? How angry were you? Was anyone behaving rationally?
Sometimes when my husband and I argue, he is crazy. Sometimes I am crazy. Luckily we aren't usually crazy at the same time. We say things we don't mean. We get mad over nothing. As an officer of the law, you deal with all kinds of crazy and there is simply nobody more qualified, better trained, or who put more on the line, on a daily basis than your police. Respect them and they will respect you back. Disrespect them, argue with them, run from them, shoot at them, and people could die.
So why today? I have been thinking of this blog for a long time. I never thought I could do this subject justice. I haven't even come close. I write today because here in a suburb of Dallas this morning,I woke up to the news of an officer involved shooting. Apparently, two people drove from Arizona, shot a Garland ISD unarmed security officer, (thankfully he will be okay), and tried to possibly attack a group of innocent individuals at an political exhibit. It's too early to tell if the individuals are terrorists however the FBI bomb squad was on hand and ISIS connections have been mentioned. The suspects are dead. I am not going to cry for them. They broke the law. I am going to pray for the rest of us, that we all learn to step back, not get angry first, wait for facts to come out, and hug a police officer the next chance you get. Make friends with your local police not enemies. Do bad things happen, yes they do. Bad things happen all the time but most of the time, the police are there to prevent them and for me personally, I don't want to live in a world where police don't exist because I am just not that accurate of a shot.
