The Shot Heard 'Round the World

August 9, 2014 was the day the shot was heard ‘round the world – at least the millennial version.  Ferguson, Missouri was now on the map and everyone suddenly knew the names Michael Brown and Darren Wilson.  Before that day, those three things were only known to those who lived there and those who knew these two men.

Having never met these two men, and having never visited Ferguson – I can’t say much about what any of it is like.  What I do know is that those two men lost their lives that day.  Michael Brown was killed in the street. Darren Wilson was killed in the media.  They were both buried in that town.

That was the day that it became fashionable to hate police officers.  Now everyone was free to throw hate from every direction. And even after the multiple autopsies, recorded testimonies, surveillance tapes and federal investigations – hating on cops was en vogue.

News media never misses an opportunity to highlight an officer caught being human.  And the keyboard warriors on social media troll every support site for law enforcement citing the same twisted statistics and calling the supporters ‘boot lickers’. 

Call me whatever you want.  It doesn’t change my view of my officer husband.  Is he perfect?  Far from it.  Is his department perfect?  Of course not.  Are there cops there that shouldn’t be?  Probably. 

Our society has warned us not to stereotype.  Not to dislike a person because of their color, language or neighborhood.  We’re supposed to be nice.  We’re not supposed to make assumptions about people we meet – or people we may avoid.  But when it comes to police officers, the same people demanding those things will fight to the death to prove that they’re right and cops are bad.  Some take to their keyboards and call officers and their supporters names.  Some take to their video record button on their cell phones and taunt officers.  Some actually die in the street demanding to be right – then are celebrated as martyrs for the cause. 

There are two words than can solve a whole bunch – PERSONAL ACCOUNTABILITY.  Get some.  And if you have it, use it.  It doesn’t matter if you’re an officer or not.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a speeder, pot smoker or heroin dealer – find some personal accountability and use it.  You’ll be amazed at the outcomes.