This past week we lost three of our bravest men. Const. David Ross, Const. Fabrice Georges Gevaudan and Const. Douglas James Larche were shot and killed in the line of duty in Moncton, NB.
A 22-year-old boy took their lives. It was a monstrous act commited by an evil person.
The murders show the risk involved in becoming an RCMP officer. They head into work every day not knowing what it will entail; what evil lurks around the corner. They risk their lives to protect people they don't even know.
Despite RCMP officers' importance to society and selfless positions, so many don't show them the respect they deserve. They make jokes about donuts and refer to them as Pigs. It's sadly business as usual in our culture.
Yet for some reason these mockers have no problem running to the police when they are in trouble. You would think they would have nothing to do with them. The police, after all, are "out to get them" or aren't doing their job the "right way." If that's not hypocrisy, I don't know what is.
Sure, there are some unprofessional and even corrupt police officers, but that's in every profession. There always seems to be a minority that taints the majority's solid reputation. It happens in education, journalism, business and, of course, law enforcement.
Every once in a while, I watch the show Cops on television. I develop more respect for police officers every time I do. The show displays in great detail the amount of shenanigans they have to put up with on a regular basis. Most of the criminals or bystanders come off very entitled in their run-ins with the law. Therefore, the police offers have to bite their tongues and show immense patience. It goes without saying that this is easier said than done.
What especially drives me crazy is when someone justifiably gets a ticket and tries to put off the onus on the officer. For example, I was talking to a guy a couple of months ago who was complaining about receiving a speeding ticket for driving 120 kilometers per hour in a 100 zone. He said something along the lines of "Don't the cops have better things to do than give a working guy like me a hard time." I replied with, "So the police should toss out speeding tickets in general or just make you the exceptional the rule?" He went on to say he should have got a warning or a lesser ticket. The guilty always want to compromise; law-abiding citizens want justice.
The bottom line is police officers are in a lose-lose situation. They are considered harsh if they lay down the law and are regarded as soft if they give someone a break. In addition, they're called lazy if they take a coffee break.
The real shame in this is how there is a need to remind people to respect police officers. Shouldn't it be common knowledge in a society that has supposedly "evolved" from past generations? It goes to show you how many irrational and unintelligent people roam the streets in the 21st century.
