Along a thin blue line

Years have passed since my childhood in New York City. Back then, most schoolchildren had a label. Mine was “the cop’s kid,” and it stuck with me till I left for college. I hadn’t thought about that old label until recent news reports about how the police have come under fire. While I don’t know all the facts, I do know this—no other vocation is as second-guessed as is theirs.

Journalists, unlike police officers, have time to revise their columns or media reports on law enforcement. Police on the firing line, however, must decide such issues in a split second.

Lawyers, unlike police officers, in the comparative safety of a courtroom can take weeks or even months to decide questions about what is or isn’t reasonable force in a given set of circumstances.

You and I, unlike police officers, can make our decisions about their actions in the comfort of our homes with the benefit of hindsight and information. For a police officer, the results of making a wrong decision can be tragic.

Howard Bangert’s recent letter recalled the ’60s and ’70s, another time of conflict with police. A popular bumper sticker back then reminded people of the important service of our local police. It said, “If you don’t like police, if you need help, call a hippie.”

It is a reminder that it is the thin blue line of men and women in police uniforms who stand between us and anarchy. This Brooklyn “cop’s kid” says, “Thanks, all y’all!”

JEAN GARTON

Benton