When Will We Stand And Protect Our First Responders?

Each and every day in cities and towns across our great country a group of under appreciated and underpaid, men and women don their uniforms of civic responsibility and protect us. These are the fine people that are police and firefighters. We asked all of them to take on the incredible task of providing support and help, whenever we call.

What do we give them in return? A police offer pulls someone over for reckless driving and receives a profane laced triad for their work. It does not matter that they might be saving you or someone you care about from a disastrous accident, all people think, is how much it is costing them in dollars. They do not take the responsibility for their reckless actions. This is the same officer that will place themselves between you and any harm that is approaching.

Firefighters are viewed somewhat differently, but also fall under the wrath of the public. At times they are ridiculed for spending too much time at the local grocery store, when they load up supplies for the station. We impede their progress, as they respond to an emergency, because we do not want to arrive at our destination two minutes later.

In the history of America, first responders have placed the interest of the public first and never hesitated because of concern for themselves. They were there during the great fire in Chicago. They fought against the devastation in the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake. More recently we heard and observed their bravery and heroism as they ran toward the burning towers on 9-11. On that one day we lost thousands of remarkable people and, yes we mourned, but we did so briefly. Since that remarkable day many more have lost their lives, due to the fact that they breathed the very air that surrounded them. The lives that were devastated that day, a decade ago,  belonged to true American heroes. Thousands of responders report to work every day and some of them never get the chance to return home. They loose the opportunity to say good-bye to their families and their families have to bury them without a single change to say, "I love you," once more. I ask again, what do we do for them?

We question their decisions, that are made in a fraction of a second, if something goes wrong. We want to drag them into court for criminal and civil actions because the outcome of their choices is not perfect. Now we want to demonize them, as the root of our financial problems in America. All across the country, Republican, governors and Republican legislatures are attempting to take away even the small amount we pay them. They are attacking the unions that help them perform their jobs, and the idea of collective bargaining, that will cut how they are compensated. How much is your family's life worth? How much would you be willing to spend to save someone you love? How hard is it to show them the respect and admiration they deserve? How hard would it be to say, "thank you", to each and every first responder that you encounter? Lastly how hard would it be to contact your local, state and federal politicians and tell them that these brave and wonderful leaders in our society are so important, and they should be protected by all of us in return?

The next time you pass a police officer or a firefighter, think about the fact that they are always there. Whether it is during the day while most of us are out working they serve us. During the night, while we all lay down to sleep, they are ready to respond to all of us at a seconds notice. Think about those brave men and women, that rushed toward their deaths in New York and remember they are rushing toward their deaths each time they put that special uniform on and protect. Do we not owe them the same? I believe we do. Tonight when you hit your knees, remind God to place each of these special people in the palm of his hand and protect them, while they protect us.