We don’t get a re-do. You guys know that, right? What we do right now as a country, or as a city, or as humans… it pretty much sets the precedent moving forward. And it’s a pretty pivotal time to be setting precedents. So, I’m writing this today because I hope with all of my heart that I can give you a perspective that you don’t hear as often. I’m the proud wife of a police officer and I support Black lives, and I’ll never give up the idea that I can support both at the same time. Right now, there’s a lot of pressure to feel what appears to be the popular opinion – to hate the police. And feelings aside, how we respond to what’s happening in the wake of this narrative is setting boundaries for the future. And that’s why I so strongly believe that what I’m going to tell you is worth reading.
Over the past month I’ve never felt further apart from the rest of the world. Watching what feels like everyone turn against someone you love because of what he does for a job is not for the faint of heart, I’ll say that. I’ve been frustrated and sad and angry, and pretty much every emotion under the sun, but what I keep coming back to is this idea that my heart knows better than to believe what my head keeps telling me must be true every time I scroll on my phone.
I’m just not willing to accept that so many people are okay with what’s happening to our law enforcement officers. I won’t. I don’t have a ton of years worth of experience on this earth, but I know for a fact that there are far too many good people out there. People who know the difference between good and evil, and people who would never be okay with unjustly hating, let alone hurting anyone because of the uniform they wear to work OR their skin color. I know it’s true because we’re seeing it first hand. The way that the world is coming together to say racism doesn’t have a place here… now that’s something to be proud of. That’s what happens when good people stand up for good things. And that’s how I know I can ask this of you…
I’m going to ask for you to make sure you truly mean what you say.
Because if I’m right and more people than it seems support the good officers out there, then it’s really important right now. If you’re going to take a stance on this and call for police reform, but you’re someone who doesn’t support hating or physically harming cops or anyone else, then please start making that clear. Because for some reason, the lines are blurred for far too many people right now.
There is an entire generation out there (and apparently city leaders as well) who are so heavily influenced by how they think you want them to feel. They are watching how you react. They are paying attention to the boundaries that are being set, the precedents that we’ll use moving forward. They see what gets the most likes, they see what headline the news station chooses to use, and they see what seems like the popular opinion. Don’t forget that you can also take a stance against what you know is wrong and say that out loud without compromising your support for a worthy cause. If you think you can’t, then I challenge you to question what has been influencing you and if it’s rooted in good intentions.
If you want to defund the police, that’s fine, and I get that it doesn’t mean that you hate all police officers – but if you call for defunding them while also cheering on those who chant about wanting dead cops, then you have to consider the message you’re sending. There is a difference between reform and revenge, and there is still a difference between right and wrong. Because guys… you don’t get to pick and choose which types of hate and violence you’re okay with. It doesn’t work like that. You can’t be on board with some of it, and then be surprised when more of it happens and it crosses the line. You have to take some responsibility for what you’re putting out there. It matters.
It matters because even though you might only see the repercussions of what you’re supporting through headlines on social media, that’s not the case for everyone. That’s not the case for someone I love, who is out there trying to do the job he was sworn to do. He’s not perfect, but he would do literally anything to protect you from the evil out there. Not just because that’s what he trains for day in and day out, but because that’s what is on his heart. Even if you hate him, even if you hate everything he stands for, even if you wish harm to him, and even if you want to live in a world with no police. If you call him, he will come, and he will protect you with everything he has. Because that calling on his heart doesn’t care how you feel about him. So if you can find it in YOUR heart to appreciate and respect at least that, then don’t let the precedent be that it’s okay to hurt him.
Pretty soon, if it’s not already too late, we won’t be able to backtrack anymore. The damage will be done. You’re not going to be able to say that things went too far and you want to redraw the line that you don’t want anyone to cross. So if you choose a world with more good than evil, then you better start saying that and make sure you mean what you say.
