This is National Police Week. I know that a lot of people have a problem with police in general, but we have to recognize that police fulfill a necessary function in our society. Yes, there are bad cops, just like there are bad accountants, bad lawyers, bad doctors, and bad systems administrators. The "Wars on Icky Stuff" has done a lot to drive a wedge between law enforcement and the populace they are charged to serve, but that is not the fault of the policeman. It is the fault of the politicians who put personal power and meddling in others' lives ahead of keeping the peace and punishing wrongdoers.
But the small minority of cops who forget their oaths to protect and serve are massivly outnumbered by good cops that get up every day, put on their uniform, and do their best to fairly enforce our laws and investigate when the laws are broken. Just like most soldiers could make a lot more money working at a job that's a lot easier, most police could have chosen different paths and increased their pay by several orders while reducing their workload. We need to recognize that even a cop who never draws his gun or is injured on the job is still making a sacrifice for the good of us all.
Yes, they're not everywhere, and you're responsible for your own safety, but until men are angels, we will need police. I'll be keeping our police force here in Louisville and Kentucky in my thoughts this week.
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