On January 7, 2016 at 11:30 p.m., a Philadelphia police officer was sitting in his patrol car when he was approached and fired upon 13 times. He suffered nerve damage but is alive, and the suspect is in custody. The Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said in a press conference following the attack, "This guy tried to execute the police officer. The police officer had no idea he was coming. It's amazing he's alive."

My heart breaks as I watch the news and see stories like this becoming more and more frequent. If cops' jobs were not dangerous enough, they have to go out and do their job with a target on their back, a target placed by people by who are angry and hurt and are looking for someone to blame. Sadly, the cops are the ones they are choosing.

The officers, the ones who have dedicated their lives to protect the public -- whatever the cost -- are being victimized for actions, whether justified or not, of their brothers. Cops, whether civilian police or military police (like my father), are being victimized by those who are being guided by their hurt and anger.

This is something that I will never understand. How does a group of evil define all of them? Yes, their actions have consequences that affect lives forever but so do other jobs. For example, look at a teacher. When a teacher sleeps with their underage student, causing years of psychological damage to the child, does society paint all teachers as evil molesters? No, we punish the offender and recognize that the few do not represent the many. Now, how does the logic not transfer over to other areas of life, such as police work?

As Chuck Canterbury, who is the president of the National Fraternal Order of Police that represents over 300,000 officers, said "It's almost a radical rhetoric causing officers to say, 'Wait a second, I'm out here to serve the public. I saved a little old lady from a purse snatching. I gave CPR on the highway and saved somebody. Now, I'm a villain?’” Everyday, people hurdle insults at police saying things like, “Pigs in a blanket! Fry ‘em like bacon!” These are people like you and me who are trying to do their job and protect us. These are human beings who grew up like we all did, have gotten married and have little kids waiting for them at home. We need to stop look at it as an “us versus them” issue.

Cops create such a strong community and family. I have loved all the men and women my father has served with. They are kind, loyal people who are giving up time with their families, missing important events and putting their lives in danger, all to keep this country safe. So instead of insulting them, why are we not thanking them?

I think that’s the thing people forget when they insult cops. They are insulting the cop's family. They are insulting the cop's spouse, mother, father, daughter and son. But they are also insulting their brothers and sisters in blue. Cops feel the pain of betrayal when one of their own turns out untrustworthy. We need to remember that cops are humans. They will make mistakes too. When those who are evil harm others in this world, it is those in blue left behind who have to pick up the pieces and suffer the consequences.

Instead of focusing on police who do harm, look to those who are going out of their way to make their community a better place. People like Officer Larry DePrimo, who bought a homeless man boots on a cold night.

Or look to Officer Charles Ziegler, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who gave a women and her child a ride when he saw her walking in the freezing rain.

We live in an evil world, but villainizing those who are here to protect you makes their job that much harder. Even with the negative comments, that doesn't mean that they will stop protecting you and yours. And that is why they deserve our thanks, not our hate.