TRIBUTE TO A POLICE OFFICER
" A policeofficer is many things. He's a son, a brother, a father, an
uncle, and sometimes even a grandfather.
He is protector in time of need and a comforter in time of
sorrow. His job calls for him to be a diplomat, a psychologist, a
lawyer, a friend, and an inspiration. He suffers from an overdose
of publicity about brutality and dishonesty. He suffers far more from
the notoriety produced by unfounded charges.
Too often acts of heroism go unnoticed and the truth
is buried under all the criticism. The fact is that less than one-half
of one per cent of our police officer ever discredit their uniform. That's a
better average than you'll find among clergymen."
"A police officer is an ordinary guy who is called upon for extraordinary
bravery--for us! His job may sometimes seem routine,
but the interruptions can be moments of stark terror.
He's the man who faces a half-crazed gunman,
who rescues a lost child, who challenges a
mob, and who risks his neck more often than we realize.
He deserves our respect and our profound thanks."
"A police officer stands between the law-abider, and the law-breaker. He's
the prime reason your home hasn't been burned, your family abused,
your business looted. Try to imagine what might happen if
there were no police officers around. And then try to think of ways to make
their job rewarding. Show them the respect you really have;
offer them a smile and a kind word; see that they don't have to be
magicians to raise their families on less-than-adequate salaries."
