When I was growing up in the late 1960’s and 70’s, respect for our our law enforcement and those that keep us safe was practically a given When you were asked/told to do something by those in authority, you just did it.
Well, what happened?
When I see the lack of respect for authority that is running rampant both in our country and in the world today, it makes me sick. Where did this all go so terribly wrong? As a civilized and orderly society, we must ask ourselves how we got so far off of the tracks.
I started thinking about all of the above this past weekend when I saw a news report stating that July 17, 2017 marks the one year anniversary of the horrible police/law enforcement shootings in Baton Rouge. Officers were ambushed leaving three law enforcement officers dead and another three injured.
There was also a story that I happened to see last Sunday night about the recovery of law enforcement officer Nick Tullier. Tullier was shot in the head, stomach and shoulder during last summer’s Baton Rouge police ambush while working the day shift for the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Department. He was moved from Baton Rouge in November of 2016 to a rehabilitation facility in Houston. He is making progress, but has a long, long road ahead.
Ten days before the horrible events in Baton Rouge, a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas turned deadly when police overseeing the demonstration route were ambushed, leaving five officers dead and seven wounded.
And then, just last week, I saw where one of my former favorite comedians, George Lopez made a ridiculous comment that we should make our streets safer by deporting the police. And now, after the outrage, he says that he was just trying to be funny and meant it as a joke. This is no joke folks.
Many people are calling our law enforcement evil and even painting them as killers. There are many incidents where the police are made out to be the perpetrators and it seems as if the way the mainstream media wants to see this played out. However, look at how many cases where law enforcement is actually the victim and pays the ultimate price/sacrifice by giving their lives to protect us.
Quite simply, this has to stop. What is it going to take? We can start by the next time you see a law enforcement or public safety officer, say, “Thank You!” Because if nothing else, they probably need to hear it.
Randy Brown is Publisher of the BPT. He can be reached at rbrown@bossierpress.com
