Policeman - Paul Harvey (full transcript of his address) A policeman, is a composite of what all men are, I guess . . . a mingling of saint and sinners . . . dust and deity. Culled 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, they are unusual -- they are not commonplace. Buried under the froth is the fact. And the fact is, that less than one half of one percent of policemen misfit that uniform. And that is a better average than youd find among clergymen. What is a policeman? 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 or worse behind his back. He must be such a diplomat that he can settle differences between individuals so that each will think he won . . . But, if a policeman is neat, hes conceited. If hes careless, hes a bum. If hes pleasant, hes a flirt . . . if hes not, hes a grouch. He must make instant decisions which require months for a lawyer … But, if he hurries, hes careless. If hes deliberate, hes lazy. He must be first to an accident . . . infallible with the 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 doesnt 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, hes a coward. If he hits you, hes a bully. A policeman must know everything, and not tell. He must know where all the sin is, and not partake. The policeman, from a single human hair, must be able to describe the crime, the weapon, the criminal. . . and tell you where the criminal is hiding. But, if he catches the criminal, hes lucky . . . if he doesnt, hes a dunce. If he gets promoted he has political pull. If he doesnt, hes a dullard. The policeman must chase bum leads to a dead end. 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 isnt honorable. The 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 policemans salary. - Paul Harvey (full transcript of his address)
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 18:02:11 +0000
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