PAX Centurion - Fall 2016

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • Fall 2016 • Page 35 They’re gunning us down! By Mark A. Bruno R ecent tragic events across this country have left members of our profession numb. To think police officers could be ambushed and killed just because they are wearing blue. It is a sad day and an indictment on our society when sick, warped and demented individuals can just pick up a weapon and start shooting law enforcement officers because of the profession they hold. Our heartfelt prayers go out to the families of these heinous crimes. In Dallas, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, our brothers and sisters in these respective police departments have suffered a great loss. I along with my fellow officers have never felt such venomous hate towards our profession. I respect the office of the Presidency, but unfortunately I do not respect the man who currently occupies it. His silence during the attacks in Ferguson and Baltimore on law enforcement was deafening, and his speech during the funerals for the Dallas Police Officers was a disheartening one. Instead of showing compassion to the victims and their families and those men and women who wear the blue, he used it as a platform to talk about the blame that should be shared by all involved which caused this and had brought us to these terrible tragic acts. This was nether the time nor place to be talking about this. The Police Officers who attended this funeral were left numb by this speech, as was I. I would rather President Barack Obama not have spoken at all. I am sorry if this offends some but I am pretty sure that many in our profession have felt a bullseye has been placed on our backs by the President due to his lack of support for what we do day-in-and-out. Instead we have all been painted with a broad brush based on several shootings which have been played out in the media in a lopsided fashion to make all officers look bad. These unrelenting attacks from media and various organizations has left us vulnerable and uncertain on how we do our jobs. We as officers should not have to kowtow to be politically correct when it comes to enforcing the law. This should not be about black or white issues, but rather about how everyone should act civil in our society. We as a nation do not profess to be perfect. We are all God’s children after all. The media and our elected leaders should not fan the flames of racism which will only lead to division, but rather they should concentrate on teaching our young to be respectful of one another regardless of race, creed or religion. Hate and anger will only lead towards a society that will always be divided. Unfortunately between the President and the media the fuse has been lit, and now all police officers have become targets. The President has empowered this movement where individuals are stepping up and getting in our faces with cameras and threatening language. Sheriff David A. Clarke of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin hit the nail on the head when challenged by CNN reporter Don Lemon on whether or not the ambush of cops across the country was related to the Black Lives Matter Movement. What a pompous ass Don Lemon is! Please do your job as a reporter and report what is as obvious as the nose on your face! To imply these deaths of police officers was not related to this movement and the hatred that has been heaped upon cops across the country is ridiculous! As Sheriff Clarke stated these groups are nothing more than “purveyors of hate!” Maybe Don Lemon should find a new job or at least get honest with himself! When Sheriff Clarke asked Don Lemon if anything was reported on the twenty-one blacks killed across the country the very next day, Don Lemon refused to answer. Sheriff Clarke pointed out also the homicides of blacks from black-on-black violence in the President’s hometown of Chicago. The figures are devastating and you can all look them up. It’s amazing how the media exploits what they want the public to see. There are bad seeds in all professions that need to be weeded out, but gunning down cops is not the answer!