An Open Letter to a Chicago Police Officer

I found this on Facebook, penned by a lady named Hanna Murphy.

May 6, 2016
An Open Letter To A Chicago Police Officer
A little recognition goes a long way.
You know, our city has a lot to offer. We have the lakefront, skyline, Navy Pier, deep dish pizza, the White Sox and Cubs (your preference), Willis Tower. We have music, over 70 neighborhoods, Millennium Park and the Bean. We have artists and athletes, educators, creatives and leaders, and you. You may not realize it, but you play a big part in this whole scheme of things.

You are a son, a husband, a father, maybe a wife, daughter, aunt or uncle, best friend, youngest child. You’re a protector, a mentor, a leader, a role model. How many years has it been? How many hours on the clock? You probably know the city like the back of your hand, block for block.

You signed up for kind of a lot. There are roughly 3 million people that you share this city with. There are neighbors, parishioners, gang bangers, politicians, school kids, drug dealers, parents, families, armed robbers, nurses and doctors, territories, mothers, and friends. Not everyone has the same background, income, religious beliefs, color skin. You enlisted to be a mediator, a peacemaker, peacekeeper, a partisan.

You’ve worked midnights and mornings, parades, riots, and fests. You have worked in multiple areas of the city, multiple neighborhoods, quite the span. You have a hard profession and a large task at hand. Protect my family, my neighborhood, my sisters, my friends. Protect everyone’s everyone and everything. Protect yourself. Defend the land.

You are bold, hard working, a badass. You have morals, regulations, codes of conduct, and beliefs. You seek justice, face danger, deal with conflict, feel the heat. Your profession is under fire, breathe. You are respectful, prideful, dutiful, elite.

I just wanted to say that you deserve to be respected, honored, appreciated for all that you do. This city would not run without you. Yes, it is a hard profession and I’m sure you have your days. Your actions and efforts are not in vain. I sincerely thank you for your service and truly hope others will do the same.