Passions and Peaves 2

OK... The continuation of my Passion and Peaves that I started last time ended with me revealing my second passion. This is a deeply rooted passion for the men and women of Law Enforcement. My family that is The Thin Blue Line. We are a dysfunctional family, but our functional dysfunction is what makes us family and distinguishes us from all other walks of life. Being a LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) is an impossible paradox and I admire them immensly. To do the job well and survive it as a career is a calling...
I have been in "the Life" for about 25 years and been alongside my Chuck as he worked the mean streets of a border town for 10 years, a silly public college as a Lt., at a county hospital, and then back to the mean po dunk streets with a front seat to the greatest show on earth. Yea, we livin high on the hog now boys!

I have noticed some things throughout this university of blood and blue. With all of the enormous risks taken every day. they go to work encumbered by the weight of :

• citites that don't respect them enough to pay them properly and see that they have proper medical insurance they can afford;
• watching all the stress, threats and paperwork done last night on hours of overtime is walking the streets like free men;
• knowing those hours aren't paid as overtime because they probably had to go to court on their day off and that time now prevents OT
• repeatedly putting thier life at risk for someone who hates them, and ones who call for help expecting them to just arrest the drunk, not the caller with their 50 traffic warrants
• standing in pouring rain for hours at an accident, and watch drivers continually honk their horns and get frustrated because they can't turn right. nevermind that they just pulled out a mother who died and her baby on her lap was decapitated...but these drivers just shout "why is the street blocked! and Why don't you just do your job!!"
• carrying around the memories of their fallen brothers. The ones who died as heroes on duty, and the ones who could no longer live with the nightmares in their head this job brings, and chose to die without honor....or media....or even the care and concern of the city they died for.
• the hyperviligance to consistently be at watch, to always be ready at a moments notice no matter what situation they are in...to take the life of another if necessary, or to sacrifice their own.

These weights grind on thier minds and hearts over time. The consequences are divorce, alcohol, abuse, and suicide. A local Agency near me had 12 suicides by veteran Officers in 2011. I hadn't heard that...and I'm a Chaplain! Many other guys hadn't heard that either, and wondered how many there actually were in our metroplex area?! Do we want to know....we should.

If you aren't a Cop Family, and don't have the privilege of having one in your family I challenge you...
Remember next time you see an Officer to think about what his life is like before you stand in judgement. Could you do it? I know I couldn't, my job is difficult and I am not the one in uniform carrying the gun.
Does he seem rude or cold? He doesn't know you, could he think you have a gun hiding in your lap just waiting to shoot him in the face when he approached your window? Happened to several Officers in this country last year..... Does he seem angry? Has he just left a child abuse and molestation call where a father was beating and molesting his 4 yr old child? Would that make you angry, is an Officer less human than you? They stay pretty proffessional despite the horrors and trauma they look at and deal with every day.

So when I hear people disrespect and ridicule these men and women who choose every day to go out there for us....it makes me sick. My pet peeve? When Christians get upset at Officers for enforcing the law they just chose to break. Don't even get me started....I may have to open up a can...