Apr 30, 2015
I am a vocal supporter of the police in the world of social media and in my every day life. My stance has gotten me called many different names such as asshole, racist, conformist, and even boot licker by some. Much of the support that I express for them is derived from my life experiences with people in law enforcement. I grew up in a small town where every cop was on a first name basis with just about every resident. I worked for twelve years in a metropolitan area that was recently named the second most dangerous metropolitan area in the northeast. I have been pulled over a few times in my now twenty years of driving and received two tickets. Regardless of the offense that I committed or the fine I always treated the officer that pulled me over with respect because you respect.
Over the last ten months tensions in this country have hit a new high. Dumping fuel on the fire, as usual, are people like Al Sharpton or Joe Madison to name just a few. City Council members in the City of Baltimore have done press conferences standing next to the “leadership” of street gangs. Their mayor is now back peddling after she talked about her poor choice of wording or justification for the destruction in her city (depending on which side of the fence you are on). Leadership in other cities continue to stand on the wrong side of the lines that have been drawn, much like Rebecca Lisi has in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Mainstream news outlets like Fox, CNN, or MSNBC do not try to put a stop it because it gives them things to fill their 24 hour news cycle and the people who suffer are the citizens and the responders. I will be the first to admit that not every police officer is the most legitimate, upstanding person. There are bad eggs in every single profession including my own, but the vastly overwhelming majority of those who have chosen law enforcement as their careers do their job because they care. Sometimes, sadly, they are asked to care for those who could care less about their well-being.
Everybody talks about the self-preservation of police mostly indirectly. They talk about how a cop’s first priority is to go home to their families at their end of shift a mentality that is shared by those of us in EMS as well. We look out for ourselves and we look out for our coworkers. We hold back from rushing into situations where we might get hurt. The people who push forward though are those in law enforcement. They’re the ones who are risking their butts to make sure that I can get to the people who need help.
Here’s the thing: the cops do not just make sure they go home to their families on more than one occasion they have made sure that I went home to my family. There have been more incidents than I can count where things started to get a little hairy. The men and women in blue were the first ones to step between myself and danger. They were the first to grab an arm or leg or something more and help me restrain a combative patient with little regard for their own safety. They are the ones who would look at me and say, “Are you all set?” before leaving us alone with a patient or their family. If my answer was “No” they were not going anywhere.
They cared as much about looking out for me as they did for themselves and their blue family. And I loudly and proudly will do the same for them to the best of my ability.
In all reality there is not much that I can do to repay the debt that I have accumulated in my fifteen year professional career in EMS. I have cared for them when they have had their heart attacks, their trouble breathing, and I have supported my coworkers while they worked their asses off to try and save one of their lives. I have done what I have not just because it’s my job or my duty but also because I care. I did it because I wanted to make sure that I would see them at breakfast the next morning or at the bar later that week and be able to share a drink and say, “man, that was a crazy night” knowing that everybody went home in one piece. I might not wear the same uniform as they do but I still consider them part of my public safety family.
In the last two weeks since the Freddie Gray incident occurred in Baltimore there have been thirteen citizens who have lost their lives at the hands of a neighbor. One of them was a two year old girl. There have been no protests. Fox News and MSNBC have not mentioned a single name off of that list. President Obama is not sending anyone to any of their funerals. Maybe our focus is in the wrong place. Maybe it is time that we look at the community and not those who have sworn to protect them who are asked to day in and day out deal with lawless, unpredictable people who could care less about anybody that they encounter, law enforcement or otherwise.
If somebody reads this and wants to take a contrary position, I invite you to do so. If you want to try and justify the anger of the rioters please, give it a shot. Keep in mind though that as long as I put on a uniform and head into work for my four shifts a week I will continue to loudly support those in law enforcement. Their job is harder than you could ever imagine.