I will admit that I used to be one of those people that wasn't a huge fan of cops. They pulled me over a lot and I complained that they were for dumb things or thought the officer was rude. For example:
On my 16th birthday I was pulled over for not having my headlights on.
I have been pulled over for not knowing my blinker light was out,
to make sure we were all sitting down in my convertible,
for not stopping at a stop sign.
I was pulled over on my 17th birthday for speeding and asked if I had been drinking,
again for speeding in Lindon, Pleasant Grove and Salem.
Kyle told the UVU police to pull me over for not having tail lights as a joke,
then I was pulled over because the officer couldn't see my temporary registration in my window.
I have been to traffic school a few times, but the truth is that they were doing their job and I should have appreciated the job they chose to do. I know that I speed consistently enough that if I happen to get pulled over for it once in a while then I definitely deserve the ticket I will get! I knew I was breaking the law meant for the safety of everyone. Even though I didn't enjoy my encounters with cops, I still saw a need for the work they did and never wished that we didn't have them at all. I have since realized that they do so much more than just write tickets. They are as heroic as they come.
Police officers are no where NEAR the cause of this country's problem. The problems in this country come from the parents that let their children think that there are no consequences for their actions or that it is okay to point deadly weapons at people like they are toys in a video game. I don't care what race, religion, gender or sexual orientation you are! If my child was threatening someone's life, especially the person there to save everyone else's you better believe that officer has my permission to shoot to kill him first! That is their job and that is the known consequence for those actions. (It is NOT their job to asses each persons mental disabilities before they act) Don't like the consequence? Then don't act in a way that merits it! Do what the officers tell you and nobody will get shot or die! #1. Teach your children that it's not alright to break the law. #2. Don't believe everything the media says, read the actual police reports once they are released.
I'm curious what all the nut jobs, thinking cops should die, want to have happen after that? Let impaired or reckless drivers be all over the road, robbers, murderers, sexual predators, assaulters and drug dealers, people with swords running around, and teens with guns that shouldn't be taken seriously because they are teens?! I know I want protection from all that.
It takes an amazing amount of courage to even be a Police Officer and literally put their life on the line every day, having to assume that anyone would hurt them just to be safe themselves. No other job requires someone to both risk their life and save lives. Most of them do it because they want to HELP people. Police will never be able to please everyone, but I believe they do their best with the information they have in the moment. Everyone that complains about cops decisions would not be able to do their job any better or be any braver in the face of danger. And if they are a little short when they pull you over it is because they deal with the worst of society every day, are constantly lied to, cursed at and treated horribly all the time. I am grateful that we have people with this kind of courage willing to protect us from all the crazies in the world. Kyle is my Hero! He is a Police Officer AND a worthy priesthood holder so really he is a SUPER Hero.
So to all of you that don't like Police Officers and think it's outrageous when they have to shoot someone to protect their life AND the public (meaning you), next time that YOU need help maybe you should call a drug dealer instead…
A Policeman Is...
"A policeman is a composite of what all men are . . . a mingling of saint and sinners . . . dust and deity. Cold statistics wave the fan over the stinkers . . . underscore instances of dishonesty and brutality because they are news. What that REALLY means is they are exceptional, unusual--not commonplace. Buried under the froth is the fact that less than one half of one percent of policemen misfit that uniform. And that's a better average than among clergymen.
What is a policeman made of. He of all men is at one the most needed and the most unwanted . . . a strangely nameless creature who is "sir" to his face . . . and "pig" to his back.
He must be such a diplomat that he can settle differences between individuals . . . so that each will think he won . . . But if the policeman is neat, he's a flirt. If he's not, he's a grouch.
In an instant he must make decisions which require months for a lawyer. But if he hurries, he's careless. If he's deliberate, he's lazy. He must be first to an accident . . . infallible with a diagnosis . . . he must be able to start breathing, stop bleeding, tie splints and above all be sure the victim goes home without a limp, or expect to be sued.
The police officer must know every gun . . . draw on the run . . . and hit where it doesn't hurt. He must be able to whip two men his size and half his age . . . without damaging his uniform and without being brutal. If you hit him, he's a coward. If he hits you, he's a bully.
A policeman must know everything and not tell. He must know where all the sin is and not partake.
The policeman must, from a single human hair, be able to describe the crime, the weapon and the criminal.. and tell you where the criminal is hiding. But if he catches the criminal he's lucky . . . if he doesn't he's a dunce. If he gets promoted he has political pull. If he doesn't he's a dullard.
The policeman must chase bum leads to a dead end and stake out ten nights to tag one witness who saw it happen, but refused to remember.
He runs files and writes reports until his eyes ache to build a case against some felon who will get dealt out by a shameless shamus or an honorable who isn't.
A policeman must be a minister . . . social worker . . . a diplomat . . . a tough guy . . . and a gentleman. And of course he will have to be a genius, for he will have to feed a family on a policeman's salary."
Everyday Heroes
Policemen may be the most
needed and most unwanted people there are, but they do more than just write
tickets. Since being married to a police
officer, I have come to realize that few professions require a person to save
lives while risking their own life at the same time. These photographs show that at the end of
their workday, policemen too have families, hobbies and lives outside of the
career they bravely chose.
Thank you everyone that came to see my series in the student fine art show! It will be on the 5th floor of the UVU library for the whole month of January if you still want to go see it, along with photography from 14 other awesome students!
I also made these kallitypes for my Historic Processes final last semester. Thank you to the officers from 5 different departments that let me photograph you for these projects!
"It takes a special person to risk so much for those who care so little."
Amen!
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