Thursday, August 16, 2012

Swingin' Down The Lane

Do cops get a bad rap?
You see one driving behind you. What do you do?
Panic.
You immediately reassess your driving. Take turns slower. Drive at a more appropriate speed. Eyes flicking nervously back and forth between the road and your rear view mirror. Heartbeat beginning to pick up.
A friend tells you of their recent altercation with a cop, ending with a hefty ticket and abrupt, commanding conversation.
Newspaper headlines screaming "Police Corruption," "Cops Kill Execute Innocent Man On Street," "Police Kill Teenager After Shooting Him Five Time In Back."
Of course we're only going to hear and pay attention to the bad things.
Despite these stories, what people seem to forget is that there are more good cops than bad cops. There are more good cops than bad cops as a whole.
Admittedly, it is difficult for someone to look at a cop and say "Thank you for doing your job."
Yes, they're protecting our streets, making our cities safe for everyone.
But when the only times we've ever spent time with a cop end with a fine, it's difficult to swallow your pride and move on.
The conclusion I've arrived at is looking at the situation as similar to your relationship with your parents.
Well...my relationship, anyways.
Kids are little shits.
They're kids, they don't know any better.
That's what childhood and being young is for. Being pretentious.
So of course there were times when I was probably hard to handle.
And disciplinary action followed, thankfully.
Then, I hated it. Didn't understand.
Now, being twenty years old, I'm extremely thankful my parents weren't easy on me.
You shouldn't beat your kids, but punishment to some degree, in my opinion, is necessary.
So look at your cops as you see your parents.
They'd do anything to save you, they'd jump in front of a bullet for you.
But vice versa, if you step out of line, they won't hesitate to punish you.
Just take it with a grain of salt, and realize they do a lot more for you than you do for them.
Lates,
Tyler

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