People spit and scream "pigs in a blanket fry them like bacon." You assume police have no feelings like RoboCop. They won't go home and talk about the man in the alley who wanted to kill them. They internalize the pain and slurs they hear. They brush it off. But cops are only human. Their only human and can only brush away the pain, till it drives them over the edge. They wake up, go to work to protect and serve, not kill and hurt others. When I was six I wanted to be a cop, but I'm afraid of death. I'm afraid because it's not popular, but you want to know something? There is this thing called the police/ firefighter stance. It's a feud between cops and firefighters, you're on one side or the other. The truth is cops feel strong about this feud, because everyone loves firefighters. Firefighters put out fires. They never have to be the bad guy (no offense to firefighters) Doing the right thing isn't normally popular, but someone has to do it. Selflessly, the men and women in blue answered the call of duty.

There's a heart behind that badge. A heart which is capable to feel pain just like everyone else. Cops put on a uniform each day, which makes them a target. When you spit on that cop... oh did someone not tell you, he just became a dad.

Someone calls the men or women behind the badge daddy or mommy. Whether you're a lover of cops or not, you can sympathize. A little girl who doesn't understand why someone cursed at her daddy or her mommy. A little boy or girl doesn't know why mommy or daddy come home so upset. How could work be so scary or discouraging?

This story does not need to be long and I don't need to get on my soap box, because well, its very simple. You see there is a person behind the badge, he/she must face the world knowing they are not popular or well liked. He/she must try to feed a family on a police officer's salary. They must put on those dress blues when they lose a brother or sister in law enforcement and go to work the next day with a brave face.

This article is dedicated to law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, and those still serving.