Give Them Their Due

I suspect that I am #oldschool. I am. And, I am proud of it too. I feel that #policing is one of the most important services that anyone could provide as a member of their #society. That is, after the #military forces such as the #army, #navy, #airforce and all the other agencies for the protection of the country.

I wrote this musings after seeing this post: https://www.dhirubhai.net/news/story/police-face-uphill-recruiting-battle-6122666/

And, because I do have a lot of friends and, an uncle in the #unitedstates who's lived there since 1989 and, another with whom I was close who used to be the Director of Institutional Research for #waycross college in Georgia, I had paid a lot of attention to happenings in the United States. And still do.

So, I am aware of the most recent issues with the police including the call for its defunding. I can never understand that. By no means do I support or am I comfortable with the several deaths of especially #africanamerican men. No decent and mentally-healthy person would.

However, I would never cease to be shocked by the attitude and conduct of many, African Americans in particular in encounters with the police. I can understand the anger and tendency to combativeness on the part of the former of course. However, it is still my thinking that, two wrongs don't make a right by any means.

When the police stops, seeks to enter the premises or residence of anyone or does so, I think the best thing to do is to cooperate fully even if it feels as if their doing so invades their privacy or abuses their rights. I think that would be the wiser and more mature thing to do.

If there is a break of proper protocol, a report can be made through several channels including social media and others such as community structures in place if the channels within the police organization are prejudiced and don't do the right thing. The key thing is to have evidence and, #smartphones make that easily possible these days as I have seen in several instances.

A job where a citizen swears or, at the least is expected to protect the life and property of others within their community is to be deeply appreciated and honoured regardless of the conduct of some members of that profession.

For a man to leave their own home and family not knowing if they would make it back home that day, not in the pursuit of personal wealth but, to discharge the duty of protecting their fellow citizens and their properties is to be admired and not ridiculed or taken for granted. To do so does not speak so much about them or, their #sacrifice but, about the dead state of something in those who do.

I have seen videos of some states where police personnel have been reduced and, I was completely appalled by the brazen and rampant criminal activities carried out in broad daylight in some of the most highbrow areas in the United States such as Manhattan, Rodeo Drive and so on.

There seems to be a #craze that has gotten the world recently which manifests itself in the tearing down of everything that we have built upon all those built by those who went before us and paid the terrible price of the kind of work and exertion that many of us cannot begin to imagine now such as working at the light of oil lamps, using quills to write and so on as opposed to now that we have #electricity and #computers that make everything unimaginably easy by comparison.

I see it everywhere. I am not against getting rid of #archaic and #antiquated systems and practices but, I would expect that intelligence would dictate that, the disposal should be selective and based on an assessment of #value and #relevance.

It is wrong to hate, oppose and fight against the police and hold it responsible as a collective for the monstrosity of some of its members.

You might be too proud to admit it because they do get paid for their work but, in that vein, what you are saying is that their lives, which they put on the line every day that they show up for work, are worth only as much as they are paid. That means that you are saying that #humanlife has a price then. If theirs does, that means yours does too.

Is that what you are saying?

If it is not, then don't begrudge them that little that they are due which is your appreciation which would go a long way to ease the burden of their work and sacrifice.

#dotherightthing #honour #due #respect #police #sacrifice #gratitude #appreciation #befair #bekind