A Rant
With truth added to the mix
As imperfect human beings, we’re all allowed to rant on occasion. Here’s my offering. In turn, if there’s something you want to get off your mind, I promise not to judge.
Advocating for law enforcement isn’t for the faint of heart. With all the hostility being directed at police officers, anyone getting caught in the crossfire can easily become a casualty. Been there . . . and it’s not pleasant.
Advocacy is also time-consuming.
Between meetings, networking, returning phone calls from police officers who want to share their stories, and educational endeavors, this work eats up a huge chunk of time. And I bring to it the same level of diligence that I would to a paying job.
Right now I’m working on an e-book that will be available soon (at no cost); creating two law enforcement presentations for my women’s group; and networking with other organizations for the purpose of advancing policing and public safety. Each of these endeavors takes a lot of time and effort. And they can be quite tedious.
This isn’t a profit center for me. I don’t get paid for any of this (and I don’t want to). I’m not selling books. Not looking for a career or to become an influencer. I don’t have family members in law enforcement or grandkids who will have to inherit this mess.
I do all of this freely because I fear what a nation without law enforcement will mean. It’s my way of giving back - my contribution to a functioning country.
Progress is indeed being made in terms of networking and creating awareness (albeit slowly). Yet I still can’t help but wonder:
Is this effort enough? Or are we too late?
The amount of damage that’s been done to policing (and that’s still being done) is greater than I think a lot of people estimate. It would take at least two years from this very point for the police staffing situation to become stabilized - and that’s if the landscape were to magically change overnight. We still have a way to go before that happens.
One fallout from the past several years -and one that doesn’t get nearly enough attention- is how the war on police has created a less desirable pool of applicants. While most officer-involved use of force incidents are indeed justified (despite how influencers and members of the media spin it), if we’re being honest with ourselves, there are those on the job who shouldn’t be.
And I won’t sit here and defend them.
For example, as someone who’s passionate about animals, I was heartbroken to read yesterday about an officer who shot a Golden Retriever who by all accounts, wasn’t acting in a threatening manner. Of course, we don’t have all the facts, and this officer -like any American- deserves the benefit of due process.
Still, when I see police departments (even those that have traditionally excelled) appear hesitant in acting without fear or favor; coupled with a staffing crisis that can no longer attract top-tier of applicants, I think it’s a fair concern.
Years of demoralizing law enforcement has caused this dysfunction and has put us at risk of seeing increased cases of incompetence. This landscape has become a self-fulfilling prophecy for those who have incessantly demoralized law enforcement for the past several years.
The situation we're in is not a good one. The road to recovery would perhaps be easier if there were more people willing to take up this cause. Heck, even some policing organizations (exceptions noted) that collect dues fall short in supporting their members. The Americans who are standing up and becoming more active in societal issues are gravitating toward non-police matters, especially those impacting their children. Understandable.
Meanwhile, however, those of us who advocate for police officers don’t have the ear of the media as they or the police critics do. We’re out-spent and outnumbered. We’re dismissed as bootlickers. And in the midst of all the noise out there, our message is often drowned out.
We’re tired.
For the Blue is a solutions-based initiative. I’m just an American patriot asking questions. I don’t work with any political party and I answer to nobody. For me, the health of the nation, due process (including for police officers), the rule of law, and respect for individual liberties, will always transcend party affiliation. I welcome your thoughts, even if you disagree; though personal attacks will be ignored. You can reach me at fortheblue@substack.com.
Thank you for your advocacy. I’m with you. We can shout from the mountain tops about the 99.9% that are doing great things, but even when that .01 makes a huge mistake, it erases a lot of trust. It seems to also dismantles any supportive progress we make in the bridge between community and profession.
I fully appreciate your efforts in showing support for our law enforcement officers . We need our Police Officers and Americans should be grateful that most all these men and women are sworn to protect and serve their respective communities. Police are not the enemy . If people would show them due respect and not treat them with contempt and interact with them in appropriate ways they would soon discover that Police are actually and by and large good people . Most of them even attending church regularly. Yes there may be a few bad cops out there but the good ones far out way the bad ones . The Bible gives the Police there authority. It is legitimate authority . Police even use their own discretion to make decisions in the field as to how they are going to respond . Often times letting offenders off on minor technicalities and writing warning instead of speeding tickets . I know of officers that were more interested in getting addicts into treatment rather than charge them with felonies . Also I am biased as I have 3 family members that are law enforcement officers . And another who is a firefighter . If someone wants to accuse me of being a bootlicker then they can kiss my ass . My Dad taught me to respect authority , my elders and to be patriotic. I fully support all first responders, Police , Firefighters, and EMS .That carry’s over to fully supporting our men and women in the US military active duty and veterans. As a Christian I fully support Israel and the Jewish people , am grateful for our Judaism / Christian principles our nation was founded upon . One difference between you and I is your ability to support the Police in a non partisan way . I believe in conservative policy’s , support Trump and the before mentioned causes 💯I hold democrats In disdain with their efforts to marginalize our Police and actively legislate laws to defund the Police . The MSM also complicit with them painting an unfavorable picture of law enforcement as being something seriously wrong in America. Just like they do with the racism card . This amounts to outright lies and furthermore doesn’t take into account that Police risk their very lives every single time they put on the badge and go on duty in order to serve and protect us all which they have sworn to do . In my opinion most every single cop with very few exceptions take that oath very seriously. At a rate way more sincere than just words politicians say when entering political office to uphold the constitution. Which they then balk at and serve themselves. Also Police get a up close personal view of the human condition at its very worst . And yet do not cave into cynicism and sometimes display compassion on some of these very people nor allow it to spill into sideways anger directed at people that are not the source of these realities. In other words they are good moral people and most are in law enforcement to help people and that is their motive for choosing their career . You get more honey with butter . If people address them with yes sir and no sir , are honest with them while they are investigating crimes . Don’t lie to them is my suggestion. It goes a long ways with law enforcement. Often times and in many cases it will determine if they let someone off the hook or instead drag them off to jail with a litany of criminal charges including felonies , misdemeanors , and traffic violations . What do people expect if they treat the Police like shit . Cursing and cussing them out while either resisting arrest or eluding them in a stolen car . Would you expect the Police to overlook all that and send you flowers ? No . You could bet your ass they will put the nails to you . Human nature requires respect if you want the Police to look upon you with favor or to receive any kind of consideration. If people were taught the right values they wouldn’t have these serious complaints against cops . The truth is they deserve the respect whether it is voluntarily given or not . The choice is up to each individual American to decide what their attitude is going to be . Furthermore Police do their jobs regardless of which ass holes and are running the country . In spite of their efforts at defunding the Police , slandering them in MSM , ending a very good source at how policing works through the excellent Live PD reality show which was meant to honestly inform the Public how to best interact with law enforcement by actual real life encounters . They demonstrated both how to handle a Police encounter and how to not handle a Police encounter . But the Democrats decided that Live PD was inappropriate for the nation as Police brutality became the all consuming narrative . Which is total bs Which proves my point to be fairly spot on in how I just described the way it is and always has been and will continue to be . People who hold the Police in contempt and don’t make some kind of effort to abide by the rules end up institutionalized in prison . The Police didn’t do it to them . It is their own choices that they made themselves that brought that conclusion to exist . Yes the Police have the power and authority to lock up bad actors . While I support criminal Justice reform for non violent alcohol and drug offenders I do agree that violent offenders that assault , rape , or commit homicides , and perform armed robberies of businesses and individuals, car jackings , child molesters all deserve and should be in prison . In my opinion prison should be full of these kinds of individuals. Same with home invasions , dangerous street level gang members as well . These are only my opinions and I am sure not everyone will agree with them . Your rant has given me an opportunity to share how I feel about Policing in America and other values I hold dearly and sincerely. I am a convicted felon myself and served two years for a couple of DUI’s . Still , I am serious about how I feel about law enforcement, crime , America , Trump , our military , the US need to support Israel , and also my utter disdain and disgust at the Democrats , the DOJ and the Trump Indictments . I am no Joe Biden fan . Not in the least bit . Our Constitutional rights and our very nation is at risk of being fundamentally changed forever in a direction that is not any good whatsoever. It’s all bad what the liberals have demonstrated with their actions . The rest we gleaned from Donald J Trump by his exposing their entire racket . Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump are hands down the two greatest Presidents to serve in my lifetime. I am nearly 60 years old . None of the other Presidents even come remotely close to them two . Not even close . The American political system in America has reached a point where there is deeply engrained corruption embedded in our government. The Democrats, Deep State , DC swamp , MSM , George Soros , RHINO’s , Big Tech Companies , Global Elitist , New World Order , Hollywood, and satan himself are all complicit in this effort to destroy America . Rewrite our valued history as a great nation and therefore the lessons learned from the same history . Change 1776 as not being our Independence Day in favor of the date the British first brought slaves to America . Critical Race Theory teaches unending racism in America . I really don’t feel or sense white and black Americans having intense hate for one another rather a determination to stand together against a nefarious government that wants to divide Americans and nothing like MLK dream of the highest of aspirations dared to be hoped for or considered at that time or since . Also none of the politicians are trying to broker peace in the war in Ukraine. I believe this is because the war is a cash cow for the establishment. Sure the US taxpayers get to pay the 800 million in aid . But not so with our greedy politicians. They are eager to make their fortunes well before the war ever ends . How narcissistic is that to place greed over the fact that Ukrainian citizens as well as soldiers and Russian soldiers as well are being killed and that doesn’t factor in morally . It is the war machine and the never ending wars that the US is always justifying even if a conservative President has to make up a false narrative to justify it . Remember the weapons of mass destruction that Saddam Hussein was stockpiling and hiding in Iraq ? Well they never did find them and likely the US government knew full well they were misleading the American public . It’s typical for our government to lie to us frequently and often . Adam Schiff lied to both Congress and Americans claiming he had solid proof that Trump was in collusion with Russia . They lied about the J6 patriots who are afforded Constitutional Rights to gather , demonstrate and to address their government over grievances, which was they disputed the integrity of the elections and why would they not ? The J6 commission committed a serious crime against its own citizens by fabricating a bunch of lies a flipping the script when all the while our corrupt government stole the election .