Lately I have been second-guessing the career I am pursuing. I see and come across a lot of “FTP” mentality people everyday. “Cops are all corrupt pigs,” they say. I find asking myself, “Do I really want to pursue a career in law enforcement where I will strive to diligently protect and serve the public and still be hated and scrutinized by a large percentage of the community?” People respect firefighters, nurses, doctors, EMT’s, and so forth, but for some reason there is a lack of respect for law enforcement. Perhaps it could be because people are informed of corrupt cops through videos, articles, news media, word of mouth, etc.… These are cops who abuse the power entrusted to them and, as a result, ruin the image of all law enforcement. Nevertheless, it seems that negative information spreads like wildfire, but positive information is ignored. People tend to have an easier time talking about negative issues than positive. News media knows that, and as a result, they feed negativity to their viewers. Some of you may have even personally encountered rude, unprofessional, unethical officers, but does that mean every officer is corrupt? Many people interpret police corruption based on the “Rotten Apple Theory.” This theory basically means that one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. There is no doubt that corrupt police officers exist, but does that mean law enforcement, as a whole is corrupt? No, there are plenty of officers who risk their lives everyday, removing dangerous murderers, rapists, child molesters, burglars, and drug dealers. This is one of the ways they protect and serve by making the community a safer place. Without having officers who are entrusted with authority to go after criminals we would all be taking matters into our own hands. Additionally, there would not be anyone to oversee and enforce this method. This would be utter chaos. Ironically, people still believe cops are useless and serve no purpose. Many diligent officers serve their community everyday knowing that, by wearing their uniform, they are making themselves targets for all the “FTP” mentality people who would not hesitate to harm or kill an officer. Police officers, unlike those in other careers, have to continually watch out for other people in the community targeting them because of their job profession. At the end of the day what matters most is them coming home to their family. It is unfortunate that this negative perception towards law enforcement could fuel the fire for others. Some people are naive and easily impressionable (especially children). Anything you promote, whether negative or positive, could be extremely detrimental or beneficial to people in society. Every person has an influence on others (especially through the internet); it is up to you on how you want to make a difference. Negativity is not different. Almost everyone is fueled with negativity. If you want to be different and make a change, be positive! I am not ignoring that corruption exists by writing this. Corruption is very real, and some agencies have it more than others. However, there are still PLENTY of good officers out there. The few “rotten apples” doesn’t mean all of law enforcement (the rest of the batch) is bad. Just like racism has come a long way, so has the professionalism of law enforcement. It still has some flaws, but it is not what it used to be. It is essential that each individual “rotten apple cop” is picked out and dealt with, but don’t let it ruin your image of law enforcement as a whole. The time I dedicated to writing this may only make a minor difference; however, it is worth it. Everyday officers are killed being heroes but the respect for their profession still lags, and will continue to lag as long as we perpetuate this negative view towards law enforcement. Firefighters, nurses, doctors, EMT’s, and our military are all looked at as heroes, but police who serve in protect in our own country, unfortunately, are not. Everyone can criticize the “rotten apples” and believe the whole batch is bad, but for me what is more important is looking at issues in a constructive and optimistic way. Even though people will scrutinize and target me in the profession I am pursuing, I can still make a positive change by serving and protecting the community while watching my back for all those “FTP” mentality people. In the long run that is the higher calling. https://youtube/watch?v=cYVxGLCXpz4
Posted on: Thu, 05 Jun 2014 03:17:26 +0000
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