PTSD ... To Give or Get

There has been a raging discussion about the ugly motto that a recent graduating class at the Idaho State Law Enforcement Academy. The motto of the class:

"Don't Suffer from PTSD, Go Out and Cause it."

One such discussion had totaled about 80 comments at Huckleberries On Line, listed in this blog as a link. The comment I made, is as follows:

Hopefully, this discussion will end at some point. Having said that, the thought that comes to my mind, well actually, two thoughts are:

For anyone who has ever been unduly hassled by a law enforcement officer, the memory is revived.

Two, I believe that there are many people that have either witnessed as I have, the brutality, or faked probable cause (for a traffic stop)that has turned many citizens into non-believers, or know someone that has.

My particular gripe, is those officers that invent probable cause. I wonder, if a statistic such as this were available, how many court cases start with probable cause being a,"flickering tail light." One that can't be disproven. The serving officer, Dan, continuously refers to the lack of respect that many in law enforcement receive. It hasn't apparently occurred to this man that the deterioration of respect for law enforcement started a long time ago. Probably in the 60's. When citizens started to feel the "us against them mentality" exhibited by some officers.

Police that go trolling for people, instead of waiting for an actual occurrence, those that act like jack booted thugs, these are some of the reasons that I believe lack of respect is present. You must give respect before you can expect to get it.

Those serving officers that do their jobs right, deserve our support, but they, to protect their own reputation, must help weed out the other kind. If they keep quiet, do nothing when they see a fellow officer misbehave, then they are just as guilty as those that perpetrate these acts of misuse of power.

Sure it's more dangerous out there for law enforcement. It is for us too.