I’m about to admit how ignorant I am of the Occupy Wall Street protests. I know it’s a horrible thing for me to say. I know why they are protesting, and I love and am in support of the whole premise. I love the project “We Are the 99%.”
I choose to be ignorant.
I can’t watch these YouTube videos and see what people are writing about the officers of the New York Police Department. I can’t do it, because it hurts me.
My father is a Boston Police Officer, he has been for almost twenty five years. My whole life plus some. He is one of the few who dedicates HIS life to keep order and protect the public. Despite missed holidays, t-ball games, gymnastics shows, science fairs, I always understood why he was not there, and respected him for it.
Respect is the key word here.
Every day of my life, I see an overall lack of respect for men and women who work in law enforcement. Like the military and the fire department, law enforcement officers risk their lives, and in a sense, give up their personal lives to protect every man, woman and child, and keep order so we may carry on our lives in peace.
I want you to think about that every time you have a fond memory of your parents cheering you on at a basketball game or winning a spelling bee. My father was almost never there. I had Christmas morning at 5:30 in the morning so my father could be a part of it, before he worked a detail to pay for the presents under the tree. My father never made it to ANY of my debate tournaments in high school. I was excited when he made it to at least ONE of my softball games during the season for an inning or two. That is what my father sacrificed to keep you and yours safe.
That being said…
Have you ever heard of mob mentality? A peaceful protest has EVERY potential to turn into hysteria. All it takes is one person, one bad egg. All it takes is one person to start yelling about throwing rocks, and people will start throwing rocks. Is it his Constitutional right to yell about throwing rocks? Maybe. What if someone is killed because the crowd started throwing rocks. Who is wrong then? The people throwing rocks? Obviously. What of the man who was exercising his Constitutional right to yell about throwing rocks? He didn’t throw any rocks, no, but he caused the violence because the crowd followed.
Do you see my point?
It is the police officer’s job to prevent a peaceful protest from becoming violent hysteria. These officers have a responsibility to the people of Manhattan to contain the protest and make sure it remains peaceful. If there is any potential that there is a bad egg in the crowd, they need to act for the safety of the protesters, the safety of the bystanders, and the safety of their fellow officers.
Think about this: had this protest occurred with NO police involvement, and something DID go wrong, and the crowd DID turn, what would your reaction be? Be honest with yourself. (And I’m not going to state the obvious here.)
I’m going to end this with the idea that there is a bad egg in every bunch. This sentiment is not exclusive to the protesters. There are bad eggs within the police. People are so quick to judge them as a whole, and it happens ALL THE TIME. (See? We return to the respect issue.) Persecute the bad eggs, and praise the men and women who sacrifice their lives on a daily basis for the safety and comfort of yours. When was the last time you thanked an officer for making your life safer? Really think about that, because it’s not a career path many people choose.
Think about that the next time you post an angry YouTube comment or Facebook update persecuting the men and women of the New York Police Department as a whole.
Lastly, think about that when you realize that your comments, and reposting of these videos are detracting from the very cause you are protesting. Are we protesting alleged police brutality and civil liberties, or are we protesting our government’s tax cuts and favoritism of the wealthiest 1%? I don’t think it’s so clear anymore.
