Every day, without hesitation or concern for their own well-being, they valiantly and voluntarily march into the throes of peril. Do they question their own motives? Do they stop to reconsider the danger they are about to face? Do they expect or demand recognition? Do they consider their actions heroic? Their answer to all these questions, if they’re being honest, is an emphatic “NO”.
Perhaps the better question should be: why don’t they stop to reconsider the danger; why don’t they expect recognition; why don’t they consider themselves hero’s? The answers they would give, every time, are simple, yet very complex. Because it’s their job, it’s what they have been trained to do, and they don’t expect to be recognized for doing their job.
What makes their answers complex? When you peel back the onion, and drill into what makes them tick, you end up in a place that astounds most, a place most people never experience or even know exists. These are people who instinctively charge forward towards peril, and believe that it is the natural thing to do. “That’s what anyone would do … isn’t it?”.
Don’t be mistaken. They sense fear like everyone else. They recognize fear like everyone else. It’s just that they believe in the greater good, no matter the cost. “If I don’t help, who will?” And so, setting aside their fear, and even sometimes their better judgment, they charge forward, while the rest of society retreats.
In the past seven days, 13 law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty in the U.S. THIRTEEN! These officers, bravely and unselfishly, chose to protect the communities they serve, and to sacrifice their own safety in doing so. “That’s what anyone would do … isn’t it?”.
These officers are heroes, as are their fellow officers, and yes, they absolutely deserve to be honoured and to be recognized, by all of us. The next time you encounter an officer, take just a second to thank them for their service, for their sacrifice, for their heroism. Surely, we owe them at least that.
We at Haywood Hunt support law enforcement and all of the sacrifices they continue to make. Thank you for your service.
