Didn't quite know where to put these, but the general spirit of Thad's 'thumb's up' made me think it was a good opportunity to point out what truly exceptional people it takes to do the job right. The first came from a LEO of my acquaitence named Paul Smith in western VA, the other from a guy named Gary Slider who posts at Shooters (don't know the original authors). A little schmaltzy perhaps, so -
When God made Police Officers
When the Lord was creating police officers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when an angel appeared and said, "You're doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."
And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order? A police officer has to be able to run five miles through alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter homes the health inspector wouldn't touch, and not wrinkle his uniform.
"He has to be able to sit in an undercover car all day on a stakeout, cover a homicide scene that night, canvass the neighborhood for witnesses, and testify in court the next day.
"He has to be in top physical condition at all times, running on black coffee and half-eaten meals. And he has to have six pairs of hands."
The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands... no way."
"It's not the hands that are causing me problems," said the Lord, "it's the three pairs of eyes an officer has to have."
"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.
The Lord nodded. One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket before he asks, "May I see what's in there, sir?" (When he already knows and wishes he'd taken that accounting job.) "Another pair here in the side of his head for his partners' safety. And another pair of eyes here in front that can look reassuringly at a bleeding victim and say, 'You'll be all right ma'am, when he knows it isn't so."
"Lord," said the angel, touching his sleeve, "rest and work on this tomorrow."
"I can't," said the Lord, "I already have a model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol car without incident and feed a family of five on a civil service paycheck."
The angel circled the model of the police officer very slowly, "Can it think?" she asked.
"You bet," said the Lord. "It can tell you the elements of a hundred crimes; recite Miranda warnings in its sleep; detain, investigate, search, and arrest a gang member on the street in less time than it takes five learned judges to debate the legality of the stop... and still it keeps its sense of humor.
This officer also has phenomenal personal control. He can deal with crime scenes painted in hell, coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder victim's family, and then read in the daily paper how law enforcement isn't sensitive to the rights of criminal suspects."
Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek of the police officer. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model."
"That's not a leak," said the lord, "it's a tear."
"What's the tear for?" asked the angel.
"It's for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades, for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the American flag, for justice."
"You're a genius," said the angel.
The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there," he said.
Cop on the Take
First he takes the oath. Now look at all he takes:
He takes it in stride when people call him pig.
He takes time to stop and talk to children.
He takes your verbal abuse while giving you a ticket you really deserved.
He takes on creeps you would be afraid to even look at.
He takes time away from his family to keep you safe.
He takes your injured child to the hospital.
He takes the graveyard shift without complaint because it's his turn.
He takes his life into his hands daily.
He takes you home when your car breaks down.
He takes time to explain why both your headlights have to work.
He takes the job no one else wants--telling you a loved one has died.
He takes criminals to jail. He takes in sights that would make you cry. Sometimes he cries too, but he takes it anyway because someone has to. If he is lucky, he takes retirement.
He takes memories to bed each night that you couldn't bear for even one day.
Sometimes, he takes a bullet.
And yes, occasionally he may take a free cup of coffee.
Then one day he pays for all he has taken, and God takes him.
Please remember that the "He" in all this represents all police officers, both men and women who have served and are serving our cities and their citizens we have all sworn to protect.
Blessed are the peace keepers!........M2
