We have found reason to celebrate a vast array of things.
The first Friday of June is National Donut Day.
May the fourth is officially Star Wars day. (If you don’t get it, say “May the fourth be with you” out loud.)
And this last Tuesday was September 11th. A National Day of Remembrance. I bet you could recall exactly where you were and what you were doing when you heard the news.
But what about September 15th? What significance does that day have you ask?
It’s National Tell a Police Officer Thank You Day!
My husband, a police officer, recently introduced our son to an old sitcom from the 60’s, “Adam-12.” As we watched an episode, LAPD officers stopped a woman for a traffic violation. As soon as the officers made contact with her, she began ranting about quotas and how the officers shouldn’t be harassing upstanding citizens. My husband looked at my son and informed him that not much has changed in 40 years. Imagine approaching a car and having no idea what awaits. A respectful young man. A snarky old lady. A wanted felon. A routine stop can go from compliant, to ranting, to shots fired in seconds.
I married into the law enforcement family and I still freak out when I see a car behind me with a light bar stretched across the top. My heart seizes and my foot floats off the gas pedal. I remind myself not to rear end the car in front of me as I wait to see if the blue lights are going to start spinning. No one wants to meet a uniform that way. We accuse them of speed traps and having to attain quotas. Maybe they are stopping us in order to take out their frustration over a fight they just had with their spouse or boss. They represent fines and increased insurance rates. An inconvenient visit to a cheesy Comedy Traffic School at best.
Did I mention September 15th is National Tell a Police Officer Thank You Day?
Thank you? Really?
But gratitude is always the fruit of correctly altered perspective.
What if you were in an accident and your car caught on fire? Who do you think would be there to pull you out? Who would risk their own safety to keep you alive? What if you were shot? Who would raise their hand to chase down the madman and submit him to justice? Who can leap a skyscraper in a single bound? Okay so maybe that’s going a bit far but you get the point right?
Maybe you haven’t needed to be pulled from a burning car or maybe you’ve never been shot or accosted by a criminal. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe if we didn’t have men and women willing to wear a uniform and risk their lives and listen to our snarky complaining, we would be the ones who would have to confront the evils of our society. They have families, dreams and goals. They are your neighbors. They simply wear a uniform and take the risk to be first on the scene.
Isn’t that reason enough to say thank you?
So how are you going to say thank you? Sept 15th is National Tell a Police Officer Thank You Day! Pass it on!
13/09/2012 at 12:24 pm Permalink
I’m glad there’s a national day for thanking our law enforcement folks. Nonetheless, I like thanking them EVERY time I see them! And I encourage my kids to do the same. Whether law enforcement, fire department, or military, our family goes out of our way to make sure any uniformed person knows we appreciate their service.
Thanks for posting this and raising awareness, Rebecca! I’m sure it’s often a thankless job — and we can be a part of changing that!
13/09/2012 at 7:20 pm Permalink
Today I heard Michael Savage say he wrote the Governor asking him NOT to reduce police officers’ pensions. He said the same thing: who will pull you out of a fire, chase a criminal on your behalf? He suggested they reduce the pensions of government workers who sit on their behinds…not the ones who get out there and risk their lives every day. I will thank a police officer if I have the chance (but hope not because I’m pulled over). Oh, that is doubtful….my son says I drive like a grandma. haha So just in case, thank you, Office Qualls!!!:)