Keeping America Safe By Carrie Hofmeister (Photo by Jack O’Rourke on Unsplash) I have come up with a million ways to begin this article and it comes down to the simplest thing: Boy, times have changed! I may only be 33 years old, but even since I was a kid, there are so many things that are different now than they were then. I remember idolizing the police and being taught to respect them. To me, they were just as high up there as the President. How reassuring it was to know that in times of trouble, there was just three numbers you could dial, and, in an instant, somebody was there to help. I remember when I was about 4 years old, there was an altercation with my then stepdad towards my mom. My 9-year-old brother snuck out to the neighbors to call the police. He then snuck back in to grab me and wait for the police to arrive. I’ll never forget the immediate relief I felt once I saw the police cars pull up in front of my house. I knew I was safe, and I knew they were there to protect me, my brother, and my mom. I will also never forget the amount of times my mom got pulled over as a kid and how it always amazed me that she never once got a ticket! I remember asking her what her secret was, and she told me, “Always be respectful and honest.” Now, I wish I could say that that has worked for me, but unfortunately,
I have never gotten off without a ticket. So, she may not have told me all her secrets! All kidding aside, I’m pretty sure that you would all agree with me in saying that in today’s world, it’s not like that. It seems almost weekly that we either hear of protests against the police, trials involving a police officer, or racism accusations against one. Am I saying that every single police officer is good? No. But let me ask you a question. Is every single pastor in the world good? Is every Sunday school teacher good? Is every parent good? If you are being totally honest with yourself, then I would assume you said no. I will be honest and say that it has absolutely disgusted and angered me with the way that the world is dehumanizing all police officers. They used to be our place of safety and comfort, and now they are the ones that have to live in fear and walk on eggshells. Instead of children and teenagers being taught to respect them, they are taught to immediately be on the defense. I wanted to find a way to spread awareness on this matter and show police officers in a light that most people don’t get to see. So, I messaged a lot of them in the hopes of finding one that would be willing to
