Enough of politics!

I don't like getting involved in politics...I feel that there are enough nutcases out there sticking their fingers in.  But there is something that has been pushing my buttons for the last few months and it's enough for me to open my mouth and get on my soapbox (once again).

I have served my country in a military uniform and fully believe in freedom of speech and all the other freedoms that I have helped fight for.  But at some point freedom becomes disrespect and that is where I draw the line.

There has been  a lot of controversy in the last few years at our local county level regarding the operations of our law enforcement office and some citizens who don't like our sheriff and have therefore done their best to sabotage the lives of every law enforcement officer working.  The arguments started with vehicles and have continued through every facet of everyday operations and I, for one, am sick and tired of it.

My husband has been in law enforcement for over 20 years.  He has nearly been killed doing his duty, but it never stopped him. He has never been the same since that incident, but he carries on.  How many of you detractors put your life on the life every day?  How many of your family members kiss you goodbye, not knowing if you'll come home alive and in one piece?  How  many of you get cussed out, spit on and beat up when you go to work?  How many of you are afraid to take your family to a local restaurant in case one of the workers is someone you arrested and they do God knows what to your food?

How many of your family members have been threatened because you did your job?  How many times have you heard news flash and worried yourself sick that your loved one was involved and that they may not come home?  How many times have you gotten that knock on the door in the middle of the night because they've been injured?  Have you made that trip to the emergency room because they did their job and kept us safe?

 Our family, and every law enforcement family out there has made countless sacrifices to ensure that our neighbors are kept safe.  I don't know of one officer who got into this line of work for the money.  If so, they got screwed.  Not a single officer makes enough to measure up to what they do every single day.  The number of cost if living raises they're received in the last 10 years can be counted on one hand.  But they keep going, and so do their families.  They stretch their household budgets and do without, just like millions of others in this country.

The difference between these families and the millions of others?  Their loved ones are under close scrutiny and criticism every single day.  They, for the most part, are not appreciated, and face hostility and danger every day. They have to make split second decisions and pray that those decisions are the right ones.  If you've never been in that situation, you could never understand. But these officers do it anyway.  And I appreciate their daily sacrifice.

For those "community leaders" who have nothing better to do than to complain about the Sheriff's Office continually:  I respect your right to voice your opinion, but how dare you?  Until you've walked a mile in their shoes and know what they go through on a daily basis, how dare you?  Come back and talk to me when you know what you're talking about.  And I don't mean your graphs and facts and figures.  I mean, go out and get spit on, and cussed, threatened and beat up.  Then, come back and tell me that they get too much.  Your hypocrisy makes me sick.

To every law enforcement officer and first responder out there, thank you for all you do.  Know that most of us appreciate your sacrifices.