As a resident of Tyler I’ve made no secret of the fact that there are times when I and other citizens often feel over policed. I don’t like speed traps and trolling for traffic infractions that our police forces often engage in, not just because I don’t like paying tickets, which I don’t, but because it’s easy for those sorts of activities to turn into another form of taxation. They can also be frustratingly ticky- tac. In the last couple of month however I’ve been reminded of what our first responders mean to us and our community.
I spend a lot of time in my car, about two hours a day actually. And while my commute is not generally a high traffic drive, I see a lot of accidents. Now, I’ve not exactly been counting, but I’ve by around four or five fresh wrecks over the last several weeks, a couple of which were fatal. I’ve seen police, fire fighters and paramedics standing, directing traffic, and tending the wounded in cold, wind, rain and sleet. Every time I witnessed this I have found myself wanting to take them a hot cup of coffee and tell them thanks.
So why now? Why publish my thoughts on the subject with no direct relationship to victims? Because I’m tired of police taking it on the chin for defending their own lives once in a while. Right now, in our sister city of Longview, three police officers have been placed on administrative leave because they were forced to shoot and assailant who was charging them with a butcher knife. According to the report I read, one of the officers first employed his Taser but it had no effect.
Since the incident the Longview city webpages have been the victimized by hackers trying to turn the incident into a social justice issue and spawn a protest. Personally, I know nothing about the ethnicity of the assailant who was killed, and I must say that I do not care. When a citizen, any citizen, attacks police or first responders, it is the right of those responders to protect themselves regardless of the assailants race, or that of the officer.
So my message to mr. tymples (the would be hacker and protest leader), is this: keep your teenaged rebellion and hatred of authority to yourself. The rest of us are having none of it.