I was out last week, and witnessed a man fall to the sidewalk and begin to seize and foam at the mouth. Panicked, I called 911, and the police and ambulance were there within minutes. A few weeks ago, I saw a small dog running down the middle of a street in town, dodging cars. Worried for the life of someone's beloved pet, I called the police station to report it so a police officer could stop to help this animal. A few months ago, I heard a car tumble into a ditch on a dark night and saw the people within become unconscious. 911 was called, and the police and ambulance were on the scene within minutes. The least serious of all of these situations, I locked my keys in the car awhile back and guess who came to give me a hand? The police. Its funny how we happen to rely on them much more than we think about.

Beyond the situations listed above, the police are there for every possible accident that could occur, every bump in the night, and every situation that you are not strong or capable enough to handle yourself. What else would you do in any questionable situation besides call your local police? They are trained and equipped to make decisions on the fly and lend a helping hand to those in their community.

I don't know why in these modern times we are starting to question the authority that they hold based out of intensive training and a passion for helping others. I don't know why we have become so entitled as to think we can make judgments as people who are not trained in law enforcement, with slim ideas of what these officers really go through. I don't know why its become acceptable for everyone to compete to see whose voice is the loudest, instead of viewing others and their opinions with compassion and a capability to hear different viewpoints out. I don't know why we show so little respect towards those who put our lives in front of their own every day they are on the job. Where have our manners gone?

We all know that bad people exist in the world. They exist in every corner and every group of people, including police officers. However, when you think about what being a law enforcement officer entails and how much they are put through, you can't possibly believe that every officer is a bad egg. Their actions and selflessness show otherwise. I refuse to judge all of them based on single circumstances.

So today, I take my hat off to the officers who serve every community selflessly, those who wear a badge and are looking out for the safety of myself and my loved ones. I respect you and what you do.