Why is it so easy to bad-mouth police?
So, yesterday morning one of my “friends” on facebook posted the following article:
Raleigh police cruiser hits utility pole :: WRAL.com www.wral.com
A Raleigh police officer responding to a foot chase crashed into a utility pole on Poole Road, near Ashford Street, around 5 a.m. Thursday.
Of course this grabbed my eye. Earlier this year an officer in PG county died from injuries sustained in an accident just like this. Thankfully, this officer is okay. But, I read further on in the comments to find this:
*name removed to protect the ignorant*
And this Dumb Ass cop will still have a license and his job tomorrow.Let a normal person hit a utility pole! Hell if Anyone hits a fixed object, like a utility pole or a building. No License Forever! Too Stupid To Drive!
I couldn’t resist. I HAD to say something, so I responded with the following:
that “dumb ass cop” was responding to a call–attempting to keep someone off the street that shouldn’t have been. Why don’t you go ahead and put yourself on the “do not assist” list at your local police station so that no “dumb ass cops” risk their lives trying to help you.
I anxiously awaited his response, when I realized my post wasn’t there. So what did I do? I reposted, with the explanation that I thought facebook had inadvertently “eaten” my post. Strangely enough that one disappeared as well, almost instantly. So being the antagonist that I am, I made my status
*name removed to protect the ignorant* must not like what I have to say
where his name was a link to his profile.
Imagine my surprise when suddenly the link to his name didn’t work and he had *vanished* from facebook. Yikes!! he had blocked me!
WHY would someone post something like that, so inflammatory and offensive and not want to at least have a dialogue about why they said that? I’ll be honest, I was pissed.. REALLY pissed, and I could have been nicer, I suppose. But I was trying to make a point.
Why is it so darned easy for people to bad mouth law enforcement? Why do people feel it’s ok to say crap like that and not have to answer for it? These are the same people who bitch and moan when they get pulled over for speeding, saying “don’t the police have anything better to do?” and then complain that there isn’t better traffic enforcement in their neighborhoods.
The police have some of the most difficult jobs out there and I think the majority of people forget that. A person can get a tiny glimpse of what their jobs are like by going on a ride along. Most local law enforcement agencies allow them. I’m starting to think this should be a requirement for all adults. I think high-school aged children are still too young to really grasp what they are seeing, and to appreciate it.
The next time you see a cop, even if they’re in your rearview mirror with their lights on, rather than cursing them, say a prayer for them and all those that they work with.
