Protect and Serve: The Police Aren't the Bad Guys

Police officers: A.K.A. "The Fuzz", "The Cops", "The Boys in Blue", "Johnny Law". You've heard police referred to by those names and worse, but how often do you hear "Heroes", "Protectors", "Defenders", "Good Guys"? The police get a bad rap for the actions of a few bad apples. And even a lot of those apples aren't as bad as some people would have you believe.

The police are our first and last line of defense between the public and the miscreants living among us that would do us harm. If not for Johnny Law, we would either be fighting for our lives on a daily basis or be barricaded in our homes for fear of being attacked if we left. There is no shortage of "bad guys" (and girls) out there - in fact, they far outnumber the police we pay to protect us. If left to their own devices, they would likely band into larger gangs vying for control of the streets, taking what they want, killing whomever they please. The police fight a constant war against these criminals every day and many people - the same people benefiting from the protection - just can't seem to see that.

When an officer on patrol pulls a car over, he (or she) is taking their life and putting it on the line right then and there - every single time they do a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle may be on drugs, may be mentally unstable, may have just murdered someone, or may be a soccer-mom heading home to make dinner for the family. The officer has no way of knowing yet time and time again walks up to these vehicles to do his/her job. Traffic stops are the easy ones. Police also answer emergency calls from people in trouble - and by "trouble" I mean things like getting shot at, physically attacked, robbed, abused, raped... the list goes on and on. These fine officers respond with speed and professionalism into situations most of us would run from to escape. Here's a good example: You're sitting home alone on a Tuesday night reading the paper when you hear a noise outside. After dismissing it as an animal you hear the front door handle jiggling and while staring at it in fright you hear the back door start rattling too! Who do you call? Who comes to your rescue? Who do you appreciate now?