America Under Distress

Ok, so it’s rant time!!

Like the guy from Barstool Sports says... but seriously people what is going on these days.

Now I’m not here to spark outrage but I want to speak honest common sense from my perspective as a 16 year South Florida Firefighter. 

Literally back in March and April we were supporting all our first responders and treating them as the heroes they are, for putting their lives at risk continuing to serve the public while under a national pandemic, for a biological virus that we did not understand and we believed would kill anyone who got sick basically. 

Now we forget all the good the police have done for their communities and for the people after an incident occurs and there was gross negligence and it ended in a undeserved fatality. That single incident does not represent the police around the country and watching that video makes me sick to my stomach but come on people, can we really not see that is not representative of how officers conduct themselves?

I’ve worked side by side with law enforcement for about 16 years now and I’ve seen them spit on, punched, cursed at, etc etc, and I’ve never seen force taken on someone unless it’s absolutely necessary and to be honest, when I say force I mean they put a spit shield on them and handcuff them. Never seen any difference in treatment for any color.

Come on guys, do we really forget all the times a cop has pulled a person out of a burning car? Did we forget all the cops the bravely rush into every school shooting to protect our kids? Or how about the pulse nightclub shooting, in Orlando, when the cops run in against an unknown active shooter to put their lives on the line to protect ours?

Cops wear bullet proof vests every single day of duty, why? Because they have no idea who is going to try and kill them, that bullet could be around the next corner and that is a scary thing.

Yes, the actions of that police officer was gross and horrible and he deserves the consequences for his action. However, I can not forget just 11 months ago in Wisconsin, after firefighter paramedics and police officers revive an African American male who was unresponsive from opiates, police officers pleaded with the individual in such a professional manner with kindest and sincerity to help this individual be evaluated at the emergency room. The man refused the treatment, and at one moment he appeared to finally give in but instead decided to pull out a gun fatally shooting a firefighter and injuring two police officers.

Cops are shot and killed every day and no one says a word or throws a parade or marches down the street.

We need to hit the reset button here and understand what these cops are faced with on the day to day basis. Using lethal force is almost always the last choice, at least from my experience, I’ve never seen it. Let’s just get a grip, go through the appropriate channels, make change the right way without all the destruction.

These riots have taken the lives of so many more police officers and protesters that should be here today. We are a country of United people, there is no color other than red white and blue. If there was no media reporting racism I would never know it existed. Here in South Florida it is such a melting pot of people from around the world and we exist just fine. The media is blinding and putting hate in our hearts that isn’t truly there.

We are all brothers and sisters here on this planet, let’s act like it. And let’s not forget about those individuals who took an oath to protect and serve the public even at the cost of their own life.

WE BACK OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN BLUE!

Stay safe out there

Jason S.