I was born to two loving parents, a loving mother, and an ever-caring father, who happened to be a police officer. My dad taught me the same morals I still live by today. Respect police officers, individuals in the Armed Forces, and those who haven't done anything to affect you.
When I saw my dad put on that uniform as a little kid, I would imagine him as Superman and believed he was going to fight crime and keep me and our community always safe and out of harms way, and to this day I still believe that.
In a recent article published by Las Vegas Now from Duncannon, Pennsylvania, it was released that a"12-year-old girl fatally shot by officer aiming at her father." However, in the article it was also stated that "State police say 57-year-old Donald Meyer pointed a loaded rifle at the constable Monday and the constable fired a single shot in return. The bullet traveled through Meyer's arm and struck Ciara Meyer (Daughter), who was standing behind him."
This article raised many fists toward the constable, with comments blaming the constable for lack of a "better aim," and "His obligation to the community to not shoot first" all from the comments section of the original article.
However, it is proven that the constable is not at fault for the girl's death, because the individual pulled out a gun to shoot the police officer first because he had been in trouble with the law before.
This isn't the first time the media has put the police under fire. As I continue to scroll through my news feed on Facebook, I see few individuals not agreeing with the police and saying vile, aggressive, hurtful words towards police officers. It is not very rare to see a video of someone filming themselves getting pulled over and making it into a bigger issue of race, gender, or politics simply because they were speeding.
Do you want to know why police officers like my dad pull you over? Because you were breaking the law and putting others in danger in some way, shape, or form.
When I see people hating police officers and purposefully not being compliant, it makes me question the society we live in. It makes me wonder why you're not following directions of people who have been keeping us safe for decades without you ever noticing it. But, when you need the police officers for a fire starting in your house, or a robbery pertaining to you, you don't hesitate to call 911, the hotline for the people our society always seems to hate.
It makes me scared for my dad. This has escalated to people starting to shoot officers and finding ways to "eliminate" them. When I was a child, I knew my dad would return home safe and he would do justice that day. Now, I'm in constant fear for him. Will my dad come home? Will my dad be there for my 21st birthday? Will we share another meal at BJ's Restaurant every Saturday? Will we take another drive listening to country music?
I have never been more scared for my dad than I am now in today's society. All I have is hope and prayer that my dad will come home and I get to call him and ask him how work was.
From the son of a police officer, please respect our officers and Armed Forces; they have families just like you and I. If you kill one person, you affect many more.
