A lot of people see a police officer in uniform and they only see the officer. They don’t think about who that officer could be when he’s off duty. That officer who pulled you over? He’s someone’s son. He was young once, too, and his parents punished him for getting speeding tickets just like your parents will punish you.

The officer who escorted the prisoner into the courtroom? He’s someone’s husband. He didn’t make the laws, he’s just supposed to enforce them. The officer who arrested your friend for drunk driving? He’s someone’s dad. He wasn’t trying to make your life difficult; he was just trying to protect everyone else on the road. The officer you saw chasing after that vehicle that wasn’t stopping? He’s someone’s best friend.

The point is, every officer you see has a family that they would like to get back to. They have wives, parents, children, siblings and friends to come home to every night. They’re more than just police officers. They are mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters.

Every police officer has a life you know nothing about and you don’t even stop to think about it. The families of police officers don’t think of them as just police officers. In fact, that’s the last thing they are to their families. They’re "Mom" or “Dad” or “Son” or "Daughter" before they are ever “Officer.”

With all of the controversy surrounding police officers lately, I think we’re forgetting something really important-police officers don’t make the laws, they just enforce them. Police officers are normal people too. They have families and responsibilities that extend beyond their jobs.

With all the hate that is being directed towards police officers lately, they are the ones who choose to keep a positive attitude about the situation, which I know can’t be easy. They’re the ones who walk around with stickers in their pockets to give to the kids they see on the street. They’re the ones who choose to pay for the meals of people who refuse to even sit next to them in a restaurant.

Police officers are normal people who do an extraordinary job. They run towards danger that everyone else runs away from. They put themselves in harm’s way to protect, not only the ones that they love, but people they’ve never even met before.

So, the next time you think about disrespecting an officer or supporting those who aim to harm them, remember that police officers are sometimes the only thing standing between you and death. Also remember that while they are wearing a uniform and carrying a gun, they have a family waiting for them at home that they would like to return to.

Police officers aren’t just police officers. They’re all something to someone. When a police officer is killed, someone is losing a father, husband, sister, friend, or son. With all the bad taking place lately, that fact has been overshadowed. They’re more than just police officers.