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I have been reading a few recent posts and honestly, call me ignorant, but I am amazed at how much less patriotism means to some police officers, than it does to others. Police officers of all people. Or, civilians, who claim (in belonging here) to support the ideals of law enforcement.
I am only 51 - the tail end of the baby-boomer generation. Even growing up on the "Left Coast" in Los Angeles during the 60's / 70's, when it was popular to hate our country, the police, the military and virtually anyone else in a position of authority, I held a deep and sincere patriotic loyalty and was never too shy to say so, even when Jimmy Carter was telling me to learn to accept that second best, weakness and a lower sight picture was the future in America. Along with 21% inflation, 10% unemployment, a weak military and annually rising taxes. Loving your country was considered poor fashion and almost embarrassing to some. Well, it wasn't to me. Nor, Ronald Reagan, thank God. But that's a different thread...
At ball games, parades, public events and other large public gatherings where there was a police presence, I always counted on the police to salute the flag and the national anthem and, to represent all that was good in our nation. This was one of the reasons I became one.
Until recently, I thought all cops felt this way to some extent. I mean, how could you do this job and not embrace, to some degree, the traditional values of right and wrong; those things inherently patriotic - about America.
As I said, recent readings here and in other venues, tell me there are cops among the brotherhood, to which no loyalty; no ingrained sense of God and Country exists. Was I blind or have things changed....?
I am only 51 - the tail end of the baby-boomer generation. Even growing up on the "Left Coast" in Los Angeles during the 60's / 70's, when it was popular to hate our country, the police, the military and virtually anyone else in a position of authority, I held a deep and sincere patriotic loyalty and was never too shy to say so, even when Jimmy Carter was telling me to learn to accept that second best, weakness and a lower sight picture was the future in America. Along with 21% inflation, 10% unemployment, a weak military and annually rising taxes. Loving your country was considered poor fashion and almost embarrassing to some. Well, it wasn't to me. Nor, Ronald Reagan, thank God. But that's a different thread...
At ball games, parades, public events and other large public gatherings where there was a police presence, I always counted on the police to salute the flag and the national anthem and, to represent all that was good in our nation. This was one of the reasons I became one.
Until recently, I thought all cops felt this way to some extent. I mean, how could you do this job and not embrace, to some degree, the traditional values of right and wrong; those things inherently patriotic - about America.
As I said, recent readings here and in other venues, tell me there are cops among the brotherhood, to which no loyalty; no ingrained sense of God and Country exists. Was I blind or have things changed....?
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