D.B
08-13-2001, 08:17
Hi Everyone
I thought this would be the best forum to post this. I got this article from a post on another LE forum, thought you all might like to see it in case you havent already. It was an article written by Mitchell Brown of the Virginia State Police who was killed in the line of duty two months after writing it.
"Well Mr Citizen, it seems you've figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category where you placed me. I'm stereotyped, standardised, characterised, classified, grouped and always typical. Unfortunately the reverse is true. I can never figure you out."
"From birth you teach your children that I'm the bogeyman, then you're shocked when they identify with my traditional enemy...the criminal! You accuse me of coddling criminals...until I catch you kids doing wrong."
"You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer for having one cup. You pride yourself on your manners, but you think nothing of disrupting my meals with your troubles."
"You raise hell with the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I'm picking on you. You know all the traffic laws...but you've never gotten a single ticket you deserve."
"You shout 'foul' if you observe me driving fast to a call, but then raise the roof if I take more than ten seconds to respond to your complaint. You call it part of my job if someone strickes me, but call it 'Police brutality' if I strike back."
"You wouldnt think of telling your dentist how to pull a tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix, yet you are always willing to give me pointers on the law."
"You talk to me in a manner that would get you a bloody nose from anyone else, but expect me to take it with out batting an eye."
"You yell 'somethings got to be done to fight crime' but you cant be bothered to get involved. You have no use for me at all, but its okay if I change a flat tyre for your wife, deliver your child in the back of a patrol car, or perhaps save your sons life with mouth to mouth breathing, or work many hours overtime looking for your lost daughter."
"So Mr Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox, and rant and rave about the way I do my work, calling me every name in the book, but never stop to think that your property, family, or maybe even your life depends on me or one of my buddies."
"Yes Mr Citizen, its me...the Cop!"
This can be so true unfortunatly., and I would like to add that all of you in LE and whose who aspire to be have my greatest respect and admiration. I hope to join you one day.
Don
I thought this would be the best forum to post this. I got this article from a post on another LE forum, thought you all might like to see it in case you havent already. It was an article written by Mitchell Brown of the Virginia State Police who was killed in the line of duty two months after writing it.
"Well Mr Citizen, it seems you've figured me out. I seem to fit neatly into the category where you placed me. I'm stereotyped, standardised, characterised, classified, grouped and always typical. Unfortunately the reverse is true. I can never figure you out."
"From birth you teach your children that I'm the bogeyman, then you're shocked when they identify with my traditional enemy...the criminal! You accuse me of coddling criminals...until I catch you kids doing wrong."
"You may take an hour for lunch and several coffee breaks each day, but point me out as a loafer for having one cup. You pride yourself on your manners, but you think nothing of disrupting my meals with your troubles."
"You raise hell with the guy who cuts you off in traffic, but let me catch you doing the same thing and I'm picking on you. You know all the traffic laws...but you've never gotten a single ticket you deserve."
"You shout 'foul' if you observe me driving fast to a call, but then raise the roof if I take more than ten seconds to respond to your complaint. You call it part of my job if someone strickes me, but call it 'Police brutality' if I strike back."
"You wouldnt think of telling your dentist how to pull a tooth or your doctor how to take out an appendix, yet you are always willing to give me pointers on the law."
"You talk to me in a manner that would get you a bloody nose from anyone else, but expect me to take it with out batting an eye."
"You yell 'somethings got to be done to fight crime' but you cant be bothered to get involved. You have no use for me at all, but its okay if I change a flat tyre for your wife, deliver your child in the back of a patrol car, or perhaps save your sons life with mouth to mouth breathing, or work many hours overtime looking for your lost daughter."
"So Mr Citizen, you can stand there on your soapbox, and rant and rave about the way I do my work, calling me every name in the book, but never stop to think that your property, family, or maybe even your life depends on me or one of my buddies."
"Yes Mr Citizen, its me...the Cop!"
This can be so true unfortunatly., and I would like to add that all of you in LE and whose who aspire to be have my greatest respect and admiration. I hope to join you one day.
Don