Support For Our Men and Women In Blue

Why is it when a police officer has to defend themselves in the line of duty and a thug is injured or sadly killed it is always the fault of the police in the eye of public opinion? What is going on in today’s society against the police isn’t the first time people have risen up and blamed them for all the bad things happening in their lives or in their neighborhoods. The police are always the first targeted but also the first called whenever they need help.

Every morning a police officer leaves his home, some leave their families while they set out to work to protect us. Most police officers put on their uniforms with pride and integrity. They don’t get up in the morning looking to get into any conflict with the public. Most police officers don’t even draw their guns in their entire careers but the second one does in order to protect themselves of others around them they become the bad person.

Over the past few years there has been an escalating problem between the police and the public with protesting and rioting whenever the police are involved in a shooting but yet if it is civilian killing another civilian or a police officer no one says a word. Sad because this way of thinking was encouraged by our last administration. I won’t keep going over those bad decisions because we all lived through it and know what took place.

Instead of people, parents especially preaching hate and distrust of the police perhaps they should try and teach their children respect. Not just for the police but for authority figures in general. I often hear, what are they teaching children in school these days? It is not the responsibility of the school system to teach our children respect for authority. As a parent of three adult children I did not leave it up to the school system to teach my children right from wrong or how to respect others or authority figures.

Children learn from our lead. They observe us, the way we act, the way we treat people, and the way we handle different aspects of our lives. It is our responsibility to teach our children how to get along in society today just like it was our parents responsibility to teach us. I remember my parents always telling me rules were made for a reason and so are the laws. We may not always agree with them but they are in effect for a reason and that needs to be taught to our children from when they are a young age.

Think about someone who is speeding down your street, how angry it makes you because your children play on that street. With a residential speed limit of 25mph and a driver speeding down at 40mph the law is not being observed and your child or anyone else on the road is in jeopardy of being injured, including the driver. That is a disrespect for the law. No big deal right? Well, not until someone gets injured or is pulled over and ticketed by the police and then the police are wrong because they are only out to write tickets, right? I mean that’s what a lot of people not only think but tell their children as well giving kids the impression police officers are out to get you from the get go, when that is the furthest thing from the truth.

Teaching children to obey the law and have respect for authority starts at home. Not when they are teenagers but when they are little tikes. As a parent we set rules for our children to follow in the home. Yes you can play with the ball but no you cannot jump on the bed. Simple rules to follow in order to keep them happy and safe. In today’s society parents are more afraid to instill these rules in the home and I’m not sure why. In my personal opinion parents today are more concerned about being their child’s friend than their parent. It’s not helping them to allow them to do as they want when they want. I see parents with young children and the children are allowed to run wild around the house and outside. So when they are out in public it is no different as the children run around and can get hurt or hurt someone else. With no rules set at home there are no rules followed when out in the community or in school. After all mom and dad are going to take the child’s side no matter what anyone has to say. If more parents set rules and enforce them in the home as children get older they are less likely to be the ones in trouble.

There are a lot of parents today who teach their children to be afraid of the police from when they are babies. They use the police as a way to scare their children into behaving themselves especially when out in public. That’s not a good idea. Our children need to know the police aren’t there to harass anyone, to hurt anyone, but they are there to protect everyone. Instead of pointing out the negative possibilities of interacting with the police from when your child is young why not teach them the good things about a police officer. Teach them the importance of such a job.

In today’s society it has become acceptable for teenagers to disrespect the law and those who enforce it. Be it a teacher enforcing the rules of the classroom, a principal enforcing the rules of the school, or a police officer enforcing the laws put in place to keep people safe and keep the peace. This attitude, this chip on their shoulder is what causes problems young people face today when they come in contact with a police officer just doing their job. They mouth off, challenge the officer, and push as far as they can until there is no other recourse but to be arrested. Of course having an issue with those in authority isn’t going to make this go easy and they are more than likely to put up a fight causing unneeded confrontation with the police. Then when something happens the parents, who never want to take responsibility, and the community, who just needs someone to blame, go after the police.

Good men and women of all races get up in the morning or the evening to do their job. A thankless and low paying job at that, for the work they do. They don’t wake up in the morning thinking about who they are going to harass during the day. No they get up, put on their uniform, and set out to protect and serve as they swore they would do when they graduated the police academy. They don’t stop and think about their safety because their only concern is doing their job and seeing to it those they are charged with taken care of are safe.

Their job description is too long to even begin to list their responsibilities and on top of it all they get to deal with everyone’s attitude on a daily basis. People seem to think when they see a Police Officer in uniform it’s OK to be disrespectful and to see how far you can push until they push back and then you don’t like it.

These men and women put their lives on the line every day. Over the past few years we have lost more police officers in the line of duty then I even want to think about. Families torn apart, children having to grow up without a mother or a father all because their family “bleeds blue.” They have taken an oath of office they hold in the highest regard to protect and serve and they will do this without giving a second thought of the sacrifice they may have to make one day.

I am the proud mother of a police officer and the proud sister of another police officer. My family “bleeds blue.” I am proud of all those men and women who wear that uniform. When was the last time you took a second to thank a police officer for the work they do? Me, I tend to do that every time I see a police officer and even our military. Do you know what it means to a police officer to have someone take a second out of their day to say thank you?  It shows them you appreciate the job they are doing to keep your behind safe and sound while putting theirs on the line.

Every day I pray for the safety of not just my son and brother but every police officer to make it home from their watch safe and sound so they can tuck their children in at night and give their wife or husband a kiss. Every day I don’t see a report of police officer killed in the line of duty, I thank God for keeping them safe.

When all else fails, when you are scared, hurt, lost, in need of assistance of any kind the first people you reach out for are the police and they never stop at your door and ask you if you support them. They just come in and do what needs to be done to ensure you are well taken care of. No matter what the reason they are called to a scene their only concern is to see to it everyone gets out of there safe and sound.

The police are not the problem, society is. A society who feels entitled to do whatever they want whenever they want without having to face the consequences of the law. I will always stand behind our men and women in blue, proud of the work they do. At the end of the day I will bow my head in prayer and ask Saint Michael to follow them into battle and bring them home safe and sound. A police officers job doesn’t end when his shift is over because no matter when you need them they will always answer the call. Just remember that the next time you see a police officer when you are getting a cup of coffee or perhaps at a street fair with your child. Remember to stop a moment to say thank you. Remember to take the time to teach your children the police aren’t there to hurt them they are there to help and if they ever need help it is safe to go to a police officer and ask.

May God Bless America and keep our men and women in blue safe.