In the past few years, disrespect towards police has become more and more popular. It spiked back in 2014 when Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson, Missouri, and accusations of all cops being racist began to get out of hand during the chaotic riots. As it has continued through the years, it has reached new levels recently with the shooting of 12 Dallas officers.

People get so worked up about what they see on the news and what they read on the internet. Watching a 35-second video of an officer in a brutal fight with someone does not tell the whole story of what happened. It is unknown to anyone watching the video what happened before the video began. Just because you took 35 seconds out of your time to watch a video, it does not mean that you are informed enough to make such nasty allegations about how the officer was racist. For all we know, the fight could have been completely warranted. It seems as if people are unable to understand that not everything they see and hear is correct.

I have also noted that all our society focuses on is the negative stories involving police officers. We waste no time ranting and rioting about the video of the officer who choked Eric Garner to death in New York. I’m not saying that was not wrong and heartbreaking, in fact, that officer deserved more than the punishment that he received. However, you have to remember that the ratio of bad cops to good cops is incomparable. Of course, we will have a few racist and just all around terrible cops in our society. It happens, yet that should not warrant the steady stream of racist accusations of our officers. It also does not warrant the violent protests led by angry citizens.

Luckily for us, not all officers are as terrible as America makes them seem to be. Why don’t we focus on Deputy Justin Ferrari and how he risked his life to go into the home of a man who opened fire on his estranged wife and children? This man made the conscious decision to put his life on the line to help a person he had never met in his life. This man is a hero and he didn’t get half the recognition of the officer who shot Michael Brown or the officer who choked Eric Garner. What about the officers who arrived on scene at the shooting in Orlando to stop the beyond dangerous man who they knew was opening fire and murdering innocent people? Where is their praise and recognition?

People are so quick to trash talk police officers for their so-called misconduct and racism but fail to take a moment to appreciate what these officers truly sacrifice for our society. Giving all officers a bad reputation for the actions of a handful of cops is ignorant and childish. I’m tired of people taking so much time to march down the streets chanting “Black lives matter,” and “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” but not being able to be grateful of the individuals who literally risk it all just to keep us safe. If you want to force Black Lives Matter so much then start acting like everyone else’s does too and cut our officers a break. If you are going to spit nasty, hateful, words about our police force, then don’t be hypocritical and turn around and call them in your own personal time of need.