The attack on Dallas police officers shows that some degenerates think that it’s open season on law enforcement, making innocent officers – and their families – pay for the transgressions of a few dirty cops who did their misdeeds thousands of miles away.
In this era of 24/7 news and social media, you are guaranteed that copycat -- and even deadlier -- crimes will pop out throughout these United States; it always seems like depraved motivated souls like to take part in one-upsmanship or cement a sort of sick legacy based in notoriety.
It’s not a good time to be a police officer.
But, then again, has it ever been?
Policemen have been marked men, purposely or not, for the entire history of this nation, whether it was in the wild west of the 1800s or on the mean streets of America’s most violent cities, like today’s Chicago.
They fight for our security, lives, and property while theirs are in the crosshairs, every minute of every day of every year for their entire working careers. I often think that there’s no way that we can compensate them enough for such efforts and risks. But, most aren’t in it for the money. They are patrolling our streets and trying to make a difference for the reward of knowing that our kids can sleep safely at night or enjoy the freedom of play during the day.
Whenever law enforcement is in the news, I can’t help but reflect on my grandfather Ronnie Wrobel who was an officer in Niagara Falls. Even back when I was just a little kid, I knew the risks that came with the job and I often worried about whether he’d come back home at night. There were many times when his absence could have become a horrible reality, whether it was when he was thrown through a window or the time he talked a gunman out of a deadly situation, all the while having a shotgun pointed at him. There were even occasions that his personal property was harmed by those who wanted to “pay him back”.
Despite the dangers, he toughed-it out, working to retirement and making the cross county commute every day to support his wife and 5 children…all the while ensuring that other fathers could return home to their kids.
That’s what policemen do. That’s what heroes do.
The rosters of police departments across this country are filled with good, high quality men like my grandfather. We are blessed to have these departments led by the likes of honorable men like Middleport’s chief John Swick and Niagara County Sheriff Jim Voutour, who employ selfless souls like Deputy Joe Tortorella who was recently honored by Barack Obama for taking and returning fire to protect a school full of kids.
On the other hand, the violent officers who have given policing a black eye in recent years are a very small minority. They are few and far between, wretches who need to be eliminated from the ranks.
We as a nation are wrong to take on a mob mentality that places their guilt on the shoulders of the hundreds of thousands of innocent officers. Your “average” cop is a good cop, a clean cop – and anything but “average”: he or she lives to ensure that we do. That’s not a career…that’s a calling of the highest order.
So, stop the hate. It’s love that the police are giving us, and love that they deserve in return.
From the 11 July 2016 Greater Niagara Newspapers
In this era of 24/7 news and social media, you are guaranteed that copycat -- and even deadlier -- crimes will pop out throughout these United States; it always seems like depraved motivated souls like to take part in one-upsmanship or cement a sort of sick legacy based in notoriety.
It’s not a good time to be a police officer.
But, then again, has it ever been?
Policemen have been marked men, purposely or not, for the entire history of this nation, whether it was in the wild west of the 1800s or on the mean streets of America’s most violent cities, like today’s Chicago.
They fight for our security, lives, and property while theirs are in the crosshairs, every minute of every day of every year for their entire working careers. I often think that there’s no way that we can compensate them enough for such efforts and risks. But, most aren’t in it for the money. They are patrolling our streets and trying to make a difference for the reward of knowing that our kids can sleep safely at night or enjoy the freedom of play during the day.
Whenever law enforcement is in the news, I can’t help but reflect on my grandfather Ronnie Wrobel who was an officer in Niagara Falls. Even back when I was just a little kid, I knew the risks that came with the job and I often worried about whether he’d come back home at night. There were many times when his absence could have become a horrible reality, whether it was when he was thrown through a window or the time he talked a gunman out of a deadly situation, all the while having a shotgun pointed at him. There were even occasions that his personal property was harmed by those who wanted to “pay him back”.
Despite the dangers, he toughed-it out, working to retirement and making the cross county commute every day to support his wife and 5 children…all the while ensuring that other fathers could return home to their kids.
That’s what policemen do. That’s what heroes do.
The rosters of police departments across this country are filled with good, high quality men like my grandfather. We are blessed to have these departments led by the likes of honorable men like Middleport’s chief John Swick and Niagara County Sheriff Jim Voutour, who employ selfless souls like Deputy Joe Tortorella who was recently honored by Barack Obama for taking and returning fire to protect a school full of kids.
On the other hand, the violent officers who have given policing a black eye in recent years are a very small minority. They are few and far between, wretches who need to be eliminated from the ranks.
We as a nation are wrong to take on a mob mentality that places their guilt on the shoulders of the hundreds of thousands of innocent officers. Your “average” cop is a good cop, a clean cop – and anything but “average”: he or she lives to ensure that we do. That’s not a career…that’s a calling of the highest order.
So, stop the hate. It’s love that the police are giving us, and love that they deserve in return.
From the 11 July 2016 Greater Niagara Newspapers
2 comments:
Well said! This choked me up, but also brought back some great memories of Uncle Ronnie. Despite the dangers and pressures of his job he was quick with a smile! Thanks to ALL law enforcement personnel for the job you do to protect and serve your communities.
Well said! This choked me up, but also brought back some great memories of Uncle Ronnie. Despite the dangers and pressures of his job he was quick with a smile! Thanks to ALL law enforcement personnel for the job you do to protect and serve your communities.
Post a Comment