For the past few months I have been seeing posts on FB from cop haters that is quite troubling. To me, each one is a potential cop killer or at the very least, encouraging some lunatic with mental health issues, to do the same. You may have seen them as "citizens" who insist they have the right to walk up to a cop from behind with a camera/cell phone, and record what they are doing at something as simple as a traffic stop. It is all about their rights under the US constitution apparently and when the cop advises them it was a stupid thing to do and to step back, they quickly become aggressive and ask for the name and badge number followed by a demand to see a sergeant.
It is comical in some ways but very disturbing in so many other ways. It seems the only purpose for the citizen to approach the cop, is to garner a reaction and film the entire confrontation which is solely initiated by the one holding the cell phone.
That is what our society has become and politicians are too afraid to address it. Those are the same politicians that send their condolences when our cops are murdered, as in Ontario and BC. I want to believe this media thing is not as bad in Canada but I can tell you from experience, it is not far behind. Often during a ride along and during an arrest, if there is a crowd of onlookers, many will pull out their cell phones and start recording. Some of you might think there is nothing wrong with that and it might even be totally legal: but why do people see the need to try and capture a cop potentially doing something wrong?
These heroes who in the past few weeks in Ontario, have been murdered simply because they wear a police uniform, deserve our respect, not our hate: because that is exactly what it is perceived as by those who serve you and me. I considered for a minute, had I walked into that Tim Hortons with my police uniform on as Constable Hong did in Mississauga, I could have been ambushed the exact same way. Believe me when I say I have gone into a Tim Hortons many times with my TPS uniform on.
Let's go back to the "potential" of a cop doing something wrong. I wonder how many of those self-righteous citizens would be there with their cell phones in a dangerous situation that our cops face quite often? As a criminal pulls a gun 10 feet from you to shoot a cop, would you inform them that you will be recording the events? Would you tell them that it is your constitutional right to film? Or would they run for cover and hide? That brave soul who has no trouble mouthing off to a cop when they are writing a traffic ticket for a complete stranger, would become the coward they really are.
I waited a couple of weeks to post this because by now so many will have forgotten the ultimate price paid by those wearing a uniform, because that is what we do. The "defund the police" and Black Lives Matter folks who suddenly went silent with the police murders, will start chirping again because it is what they do. Our politicians and media will give them as much air time as they want because it is the politically correct thing to do.
Chaplain Hillar Alkok
Comments
Post a Comment