Authority figures are under attack in our country today, I fully believe that.
No group like law enforcement, though, has it worse right now.
They deal with violence and law breakers every day and the wrong move (and sometimes the right move) could put their face on CNN, lambasted by the media and could cause riots or even worse.
I support Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers and his right under the 1st Amendment to express himself legally. Though, I may not agree or understand, I do applaud him and this country for allowing it. I've often said that when something like that happens, you know that our country is not as evil as sometimes portrayed because he's not been arrested for his freedom of speech.
Recently, a friend of mine who is a white police officer (I won't name him here because I don't want to bring unwanted attention to him) saved a a minority woman's life.
He found her in an alley out from a drug overdose with no pulse in the neck or at the wrist. He did not have to do anything else from that point after calling for an ambulance.
But he did.
He started CPR on her and kept doing so until the ambulance arrived.
She lived.
Because of my police officer friend.
Her family is thankful that he did this thing and he will receive recognition from the police department.
He should have done this and many would and I believe he would have no matter what because that's the kind of guy he is.
But you won't see it on the news, and because he has kept it quiet personally, he won't hear all the positives from the community, but he deserves it.
Maybe it's the idealist in me, but I believe that the overall amount of police do not get up in the morning looking to kill or arrest minorities. They want to do a good job and make it home to their families at night.
I'm not so naive, though, to believe all law enforcement are good people. There are some bad ones like in any profession and there are some who make mistakes while trying to be good.
Both of those should be held accountable for their actions while another Constitutional Amendment, the 6th amendment, being used which guarantees due process.
I guess my point is, thank God for people who are willing, like my friend, to go out every day and enforce the laws.
They really are the only thing that separates us from anarchy and they allow most of us to live good lives in this greatest country on God's green Earth.
