Last week, I saw a photo on social media that painted a very real picture of the role of law enforcement.
In the image, students were fleeing from the sound of gunfire at a United States college. While they were running away from the danger, police officers were sprinting towards it.
To me, that photo is worth a thousand words.
Meagan MacEachern The MacEachern Mindset
Take a moment and consider that picture. Think about what’s going through the minds of the students fearing for their lives, and the officers rushing to protect them.
These are people that are there when we need them the most, kind of like everyday superheroes really.
Law enforcement, regardless of whether they’re RCMP, peace officers, or sheriffs, play a vital role in the safety of our communities.
This, among other reasons, is why I commend our officers for what they do. They put themselves at risk for the safety of others.
They work long hours, miss holidays, and spend weekends working the night shift. They often miss birthdays, soccer games, and special occasions, because they’re out there on the streets protecting our community.
I know I could never do what they do.
They’re there for some of the worst moments, days, and weeks of our lives. They respond to collisions, bar fights, thefts, break-ins, assaults, and so much more.
In a lot of cases, police officers are there when we’re at our most vulnerable, whether it’s because of a sexual assault, an armed robbery, or the sudden death of a loved one, and they often go unthanked.
I would guess, more often than not, they’re yelled at, called names, and physically assaulted simply because they’re willing to put on a uniform many of us never could.
So next time you get caught speeding down the highway, instead of getting mad at the officer for doing their job, take a minute to appreciate what they do, especially if it happens to be National Police Week.
They do something so many of us could never do; they put the public before themselves.
