I Am Law Enforcement

Following the unprovoked assassinations of police officers recently, a friend asked me what police officers were thinking about these executions and to what they attributed these shootings.  Needless to say, a flood of emotions washed over me as I contemplated these questions.

The law enforcement community is a tight-knit family.  When a loss is experienced in a police department anywhere in the country, there is a ripple effect felt throughout the entire police community.  While the AP and UPI is quick at getting the information out, such losses are communicated almost immediately to police departments nationwide.  The communication system used to check the status of drivers, vehicle registrations, stolen property, and wanted persons is also available to police departments to spread the word concerning police shootings.

A police officer dies in the line of duty on an average of every 54 hours in the United States.  Many of these deaths are due to traffic accidents or other misfortunes.  (You can see a previous article I placed on my blog that outlines officer deaths by type of incident.)  But, when it comes to the execution of a police officer, it takes on a special kind of ugly.  Nothing unites the police community like the death of one of our own and nothing kindles more sorrow than an ambush assassination of a police officer.

Though I am no longer an active duty police officer, I am still a member of that community.  When one of my fellow officers dies in the line of duty I mourn with the rest of the police fraternity.  And though I am no longer an active duty police officer I maintain contact with officers who are currently employed in law enforcement.

To be perfectly candid, every police officer I know and most of those who are retired like me point a finger at the cultural climate that President Obama has created.  They see – we see – how quickly he condemns police for actions before they are even investigated and we see how slow he is to recognize the deaths of police.  Not only do we see how slowly he recognizes the death of police, but we also see how he politicizes those deaths to meet his own agenda.  His failure to bathe the White House in blue following the deaths of the Dallas officers yet turn on the Rainbow colors for the gay community and the French Red, White, and Blue following their terrorist attacks was a slap in the face.  We see the Comforter-in-Chief selectively comforting.  His appointment of two anti-police U. S. Attorneys General is further evidence of his disdain for police.

To be clear, there are indeed abuses by police and in some communities the appearance of these abuses toward minorities is pronounced.  This does not mean that all police are bad apples.  Most police officers are like me.  When one badge is tarnished, all our badges are tarnished.  But, that does not define who we are as a policing community.

So, how are police responding to the current climate?  Most police will continue to do their jobs regardless of what target is plastered on their backs.  Some police will slow their service down and even refuse to enter some neighborhoods.  I know current police officers who are now considering the minimum service amount for retirement.  They have had it.  They have had enough, not just because of the potential threat that is out there against them, but because of the political climate that has been allowed to fester and grow.  Many police are going to look the other way at minor offenses even though we know from experience that enforcement of minor violations is a key to preventing serious crime.  More police will carry off-duty weapons while actively concealing their identity as police officers.  Spouses and children of officers will hold their breath each time their police officer goes to work.  There will be arguments about whether or not the police office spouse should find other employment.  Officers are going to be a little more cautious and edgy at the same time.  Some will react too slowly and err on the side of caution while others will overreact and err on the side of personal safety.  Expect more police officers to shoot first and ask questions later and expect more police officers to wait too long and end up getting killed as a result.

Meanwhile, expect an exodus of well-trained, seasoned police officers from the job.  Others, both green and inexperienced or those, whose idea of policing is fed by television, movies, and video games, will fill those vacancies.  Is that what you really want?

So, you want to know what police officers were thinking about these executions and to what they attributed these shootings?  There you have it in a very oversimplified nutshell.

Be Someone

As I sat reading a series of articles in a magazine it occurred to me that I knew some of the people who were mentioned in those articles.  Other names I recognized simply because I knew of them and have known of them for many years.  It occurred to me that I’ve seen other names in books, magazines, and other media that I have recognized over the years.  So many of the people I either know or know of have contributed in some way to society in one way or another, either in a general way or to specific individuals.  Then of course there are the countless others who have contributed whose names I do not know – names of people that most of us will never know because their names do not appear in the headlines of the news.  They are not honored for their achievements in a public forum.  For that matter, many don’t even receive a thank you note for their contributions, yet their contributions are valuable and in some cases may even be life sustaining.
Some people thrive on attention.  They enjoy the limelight regardless of their contributions.  There are those who contribute so that they may be recognized while there are others who contribute in spite of the recognition.  Meanwhile, there are those who do not contribute.  They sit on the sidelines and watch as the world goes by.  Some don’t care.  Some say to themselves that they could have done the same thing that others had done.  Some don’t know.  Some don’t know how.  Some don’t want the recognition; they prefer to not draw attention to themselves so they shy away from doing something of value to others.

When I read those names in the magazine it occurred to me that everyone should be someone. 

I believe that being someone is different that being who you are or what you are.  Who you are is determined by reading a birth certificate.  It is also determined by realizing  your eternal lineage.  What  you are is determined by what you do.  We most frequently attach titles to names to identify what you are.  You are a dentist, doctor, lawyer, refuse collector, electrician, teacher, preacher, basketball coach, scout leader, lineman, engineer, botanist, actor, singer, comedian, nurse, CEO, custodian, sales person, flight attendant, soldier, marine, sailor, editor, writer, service technician, chemist, and on and on.  All those and many, many other titles determine what you are.  And, it is quite possible to have more than one title.  The engineer by day may be the scout master on Tuesday nights, an Army Reservist one weekend a month, and a baseball coach three evenings a week.  That same person may also be a mom or a dad 24/7.  (One could easily argue that the title of mom or dad might also spill over into the “who you are” column.

But, what does it mean to be someone?

I believe that is a valid question.  Of course I believe it is a valid question.  I just penned it!  But, what does it mean to be someone?  Just because you are an orthopedic surgeon it doesn’t mean that you are someone.  The paperboy could be someone while the surgeon is, well, is no one.  But, how can that be?

Easy.

To be someone requires you to make a difference.  It requires you to make a difference in somebody else’s life.  It does not require press coverage.  It does not merit recognition in the newspaper nor does it merit the awarding of a medal or a pin or a certificate a letter or even a thank you note.  It requires you to do something in your sphere of life, in your circle of influence.  It requires you to do the right things for the right reasons, certainly not because you want the recognition, though admittedly it is nice to get the pat on the back once in a while.  But even if the pat on the back does not arrive, it still requires doing the right thing for the right reason.  It requires giving your best.  In fact, it requires giving more than your best.  It does not necessarily require giving everything.  But it does require giving your best.  It requires recognizing that you are not the only one on the planet, that you share breathing space with others.  It also requires recognizing others for their part in this thing we call life, even if you do not get the recognition that you probably deserve.

What sorts of things am I talking about?  Let me share some examples.
Being someone requires you to take the time to stoop down to a child’s level once in a while to speak to that child, to give that child encouragement or to congratulate the child for doing a great job.  Being someone requires you to speak kindly to the cashier who is having a really rough day.  Being someone requires you to be “that guy” who waited patiently on the receptionist who had a difficult time getting a new printer to print out your receipt, all the while explaining that you understand the person’s plight because you’ve been there, too.  Being someone requires you to let the driver of the car on adjacent street or parking lot exit to pull out in front of you.  Being someone defers conversation to others who want to speak, though you really want to speak as well.  Being someone requires you to reserve judgment.  In essence, being someone requires kindness, benevolence, honesty, integrity, virtuous, and so forth.

Are these the only ways you can be someone?  Well, no, there are other ways of being someone if you really want to be that person.  You can be rude and intolerant.  You can always have a negative thought to share.  You can be the person who always has to be right.  You can be the person who must always have the final say or be the owner of the way things are done.  You can be the know-it-all.  The person who fits that description is someone as well.  I’m just not sure that most of us want to be that person, though I know people who enjoy (or at least seem to enjoy) being that someone.

But the point of this is that everybody needs to be someone.  There are too many people hiding in the woodwork.  There are too many people not taking a stand, either by word or deed.  Too few people speak out, and when that happens the loud mouths draw all the attention, which might just lead the rest of us down crooked paths.  Too few people stand up and step forward.  There are too many people pulling out their camera phones to record what is happening rather than stepping in to make things happen.  Too many people are acquiring celebrity status for recording an injustice instead of rectifying an injustice.  Too many people are satisfied with being that someone who virtually did nothing instead of the someone who took action.

It is time for people, for you, to step out of your safe little shell and be someone; not just any someone but to be the someone who makes a difference in the lives of others.

Be Someone!