Pirate, you are right...NO ONE would, or ever will, understand until they themselves have done the job. And like you, I NEVER, not in 15 years, had an innocent citizen refuse to cooperate.
And oldshaver, you are right as well...we DO live in a free society; but it is a society that is bound by laws that have to be enforced by men and women who put their lives on the line day in and day out so that not only can you feel relatively safe for yourself, but also your spouse and your children as well. These officers and deputies also are a forgotten part of society which protect THIS soil from terrorist attacks; a forgotten fact by some. I have seen program after program and speech after speech with only a MINISCULE amount of words spoken about the officers who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks. "Yes," those firefighters lost their lives and "yes" they should be honored and remembered from now on; but those officers lost their lives and their families lost a member who will not ever be forgotten. Their sacrifice was just as important as everyone else's, as are our soldier's sacrifices. And before anyone gets upset, I realize that our military is the first line of defense for our nation when it comes to fighting a war, but the FIRST line of defense here at home begins with your law enforcement officers. THEY are the one's patrolling your neighborhood at night, facing situations that most citizens wouldn't dare face; a job that can be eleven-and-a-half hours of boredom broken by five minutes of sheer terror. But, when it is occurring, the officer doesn't have the time, the luxury (or the good sense
) to be scared, they just have to act. And, if it comes down to it, THEY will be the ones who get the 'opportunity' to stop another such incident from occurring. Does ANYONE remember the security guard's name who broke up the olympic bombing in Atlanta? Of course not, and this poor guy was blamed for everything from planting the bomb to only God knows what! AND THIS was by other officers! No, he wasn't an officer (although he is now reportedly an officer in Pendergrass, Georgia), but he WAS the first person in authority on the scene who noticed that something wasn't quite right and it is a definite that he saved MANY lives that day. Oldshaver, I agree, if the 'power' is abused, then by all means the officer abusing his/her position should have the book thrown at them; but, if they are doing their job and if a person refuses to comply to a lawful order, then that person MUST be taken as a hostile person and ANY disregard by them MUST then be taken as a hostile act, not only against the officer present, but against society. As a citizen, if there is a high-profile type case involving what the media wants to portray as an abuse of power, you MAY be lucky enough to see a fifteen or twenty-second block of video tape on the evening news. But this section of tape will NEVER show the innocent citizen first attacked, it will NEVER show the super-human strength sometimes shown by a person on drugs, and it will NEVER show the officers first being attacked! The case will be tried and the officers convicted in the 'court-of-public-opinion' long before the case even gets to court!
I'm sorry oldshaver, but you do NOT realize the danger of the job and you do NOT realize the danger of a genuine threat by a serious criminal; they don't go around wearing a flashing "I'm an idiot" sign over their head (although some of them come MIGHTY close
)!
There's a saying that goes as follows:
WHAT ARE POLICE OFFICERS MADE OF?
A police officer is a composition of what all people are, a mingling of saint and sinner, dust and deity. Less than one-half of one percent of police officers misfit the uniform.
They, of all men and women, are at once the most wanted and the most unwanted. They must be such a diplomat that they can settle differences between individuals so that each will think they’ve won.
But, if a police officer is pleasant, then they’re a flirt; if they’re not, they’re a grouch. They must be able to start breathing, stop bleeding, tie splints, and, above all, be sure the victim goes home without a limp - or expect to be sued. They must know every gun, draw on the run, and hit where it doesn’t hurt.
They must be able to whip two men twice their size and half their age without damaging their uniform and without being “brutal”. If you hit them, then they’re a coward, if they hit you, they’re a bully. They must know where all the sin is and not partake. The police officer must chase bum leads to a dead end, and stake out ten nights to tag one witness who saw it happen - but refused to remember.
The police officer must be a minister, a social worker, a diplomat, a tough guy, and a gentleman. And of course, they’ll have to be a genius - for they’ll have to feed and clothe a family on a police officer’s salary.
Author Unknown
There are not many in society who can fit this bill.
Oh, and by the way, the guard's name who found the Olympic bomb in 1996......Richard Jewell.
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