Take a good look at your surroundings. Look in the mirror if you have to and think about every opportunity, resource and right you have been granted all of these years.

Who do you have to thank? Your parents? Relatives? Coaches? Teachers?

Now, take a minute and think about all of the men and women you glossed over that also deserve a genuine ‘thank you’ – those behind the scenes. You know exactly who I’m talking about – the ever-so-selfless men and women who make up our police force here in the U.S. Unfortunately, we’ve entered an era where people can openly hate and mistreat such honorable men and women, but for a moment imagine our lives without them. 

The vast majority of Americans have the privilege of being able to take their dogs out at sundown and get a good night’s sleep without the fear of being kidnapped, raped or exposed to any sort of attack or explosive. Thank our officers for that.

Many can also hold the hand of the man (or woman) they love while simultaneously greeting an officer without the fear of being beaten or punished for doing so. Thank our civilian police force for that.

Still, many can get into a horrible accident in the middle of the night and know that somewhere a man in blue will soon show to help in any way possible despite the danger they may face. Thank our officers for that.

In fact, you could be at an anti-police protest, get the wind knocked out of you by some punk and still bank on the fact that an officer will accommodate your every need. Thank our officers for that. 

You see, politics aside, every life on this spinning, blue ball we call home matters – especially those that protect your right to say and do heinous things like hate police officers. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has the right to wish death or disaster upon those that would put their life on the line if yours was in danger despite not knowing a thing about you.

If this simple rationale still confuses people, let me spell it out further. Having police officers that are there in dire situations is a privilege not an inconvenience. Respect them. Is it frustrating as hell to get pulled over on your way to work because you were running late and chose to speed? Absolutely. Guess what else sucks? A life and a world full of permanent chaos, no law or order, no respect for authority and constant rule breaking. 

Now, let me reiterate. Every life with the intention of doing good matters – blue, black, white, indigo, ultraviolet, you name it, it matters. However, officers that happen to have bad intentions should be punished and prosecuted for doing so. Every tree has bad apples.

On the other hand, if you happen to disagree with an officer that’s preventing you from doing something stupid, take a step back and reevaluate because the least you can do is respect those who took an oath to respect and protect you. This is nothing more than my humble two cents.