Worth Repeating

...Brought to my attention by

http://www.wivesbehindthebadge.org/

via

http://www.lifeinthelineofduty.com/

Instead of just linking the page, I'm copy/pasting the text:

Who are we?  We are police wives.  We’re members of a sisterhood unlike any other.  Every day, we send our husbands to work with a vest, a gun, and a badge.  We stand firm together when we lose a member of our law enforcement family.  We are the ever-present strength behind each officer.  But we are tired.  We are tired of the trend in this country.  We are tired of the lack of respect for our law enforcement officers.  And we are tired of watching in horror as more and more officers are brutally murdered while upholding their duty to protect and serve.  It’s time for you to listen to what we have to say.

When a government official is shot and killed, execution style, it is considered an assassination. An assassination is globally recognized, nationally mourned and is considered a historical event.  Assassinations make our history books and are considered one of the most heinous acts against the leaders of our country.

Today is Monday, August 8, 2011.  Since July 3, 2011 nine Police Officers have been assassinated on American soil. Nine officers gunned down, executed, assassinated in a mere thirty five days. That is one officer being murdered every 37 hours.  Forty-six officers have been gunned down since January, an increase of 18% above 2010’s own significant increase of 37% from 2009.  There is no disputing these numbers, and there is no denying they continue to climb.   Since 2009, increasingly our officers have become targets. The Lakewood Four, assassinated while sitting in a coffee shop. Officers inside their own precinct in Detroit were gunned down while simply sitting at their desks. Continually, we are seeing officers sought out by repeat offenders and convicted felons on a mission, a spoken mission of hatred towards our Peacekeepers, determined to hunt them down and assassinate them.

Our officers are being murdered while sitting at traffic lights, while sitting in parking lots simply completing their paperwork, yet there is no outcry for the protection of our officers. There is no global recognition, nor is there national mourning.  Nor is the loss of an officer every 37 hours considered worthy of the acknowledgement that the assassination of our officers has become an epidemic.  A criminal’s answer to avoiding arrest is now to murder an officer.  It is time for America to wake up.  It is time for our Government to wake up.  It is time for action. When will our Country recognize the reality that has become the death of the American police officer?

You can never begin a plea for awareness involving Law Enforcement Officers without immediately being confronted with those who have no regard for our officers. There will always be the masses who have no respect for our officers, or what they do to protect our streets and communities, or where society would be without them. There is no disputing that there are corrupt officers in this country, those with no respect for their badge, those who abuse their power. Those who abuse the badge should be punished accordingly. However, statistics prove those officers are minuscule in number compared to the mass majority of honorable officers who have dedicated their lives to protecting and serving their communities regardless of the hatred they face from the public, regardless of the dangers they are subjected to each and every shift.

There is a sense of complacency across this country at the death of our police officers. Somewhere along the way the value of a human life has been diminished. When an officer falls, those who hate them rejoice, those who are average citizens look up at the news briefly, feel sorrow momentarily, and express the commonality which needs to change – the death of an officer is merely part of the job, a risk which every officer knowingly, willingly and expectedly signs up for when they take the badge. The truth is, our officers did not sign up for what is taking their lives on average at the rate of one officer every three days.

There must be an awakening in America as a whole, within its communities and cities, and all levels of government. America needs to be awakened as to the value of our officers and their worth, not only as the officers we rely upon and hold to a level of expectation to perform those duties they knowingly, willingly and eagerly signed up for, but their worth as human beings. Human beings who make the daily sacrifices expected of them, sacrifices only they make as no one else will.

Officer jobs are being cut across the country. Officers are scrutinized for not being on scene quickly enough when there are far less officers than just three years ago. At the same time, more and more criminals are being repeatedly released back onto our streets.  Officers can no longer enforce the laws they did not create without fear of being murdered for performing their duties.

Our officers deserve to be held to a higher level of protection. They should be revered, just as our troops are revered. Our government acts swiftly with a mighty hand when someone attacks our troops. Why not our officers? Our government, with conviction, will immediately and permanently remove anyone from society who injures or murders a government official. Why not our officers? As a citizen of this country – a country built on freedom, a country so dedicated to keeping its citizens safe – why aren’t you more concerned with the well-being of those who ensure those rights?  Where would we be without our police officers?  Ask yourself right now – what is an officer’s worth?

Our officers are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers. Our officers did not choose the badge as a source of income, the badge chose our officers. They are called to their duty, it is who they are. They protect and serve their communities regardless of risk, regardless of scrutiny, regardless of the hate and dangers aimed at them.

Our officers already have the odds stacked against them.  Their numbers have been cut, but their work has been doubled.  When will we accept that the blatant execution style assassination of our peacekeepers is much more costly than reforming our prison system? When will America and our Government awaken to the fact that burying an officer is not cheaper than housing a prisoner?  When will America realize where they would be if an Officer did not take a bullet for them?  What is that worth?

Words are nothing without action. Acknowledging our officers will not save them. Supporting our officers will not spare their lives. Change is needed and it is needed now. We must all work toward changes to protect our officers.  We must change the way we interact with our officers. We must raise our children to respect our officers and the protection they provide.  Instead of thinking of an officer as someone who enforces laws that might annoy you, remember there is a human being in that uniform. Remember that person could be a father who has worked back to back twelve hour shifts, alone, in that uncomfortable uniform, hoping and praying to make it home to his wife and family.  Remember that person could be a mother, working hard to make a difference for her family and her community, continuously sacrificing herself for the betterment of others.

In 2011, 112 officers have lost their lives protecting the lives and communities of Americans, and over 175 children have been left heartbroken.  For every officer who has been assassinated and for every child left without a mother or a father, there is a criminal. For each criminal who still has the luxury which was provided to them by this country, there is an officer who stood the Thin Blue Line – the line that is drawn between the good and the bad. For each officer taken by a criminal, one less stands to protect you from the next assassination.  When will enough be enough? When will we recognize an officer’s worth?

The numbers are depressing.  But they are facts.   Think of your own family, now think of your family being ripped apart because someone forgot the value of your life.  Put yourselves in the shoes of the officers who daily risk their all for you.  Now do something about it.  Change your attitude, speak up, stand up for what is right.  Pass this article on.  Respect your officers.  Teach your children to do the same.  This is your wake up call, what are you going to do with it?

************************************************

These are scary times we live in.