Don't "clench your buttocks" around cops...

[Balog]

In my opinion, choosing a career as a law enforcement officer brings inherent risks and dangers that other professions do not. Especially so since those risks and dangers are known up front and happen daily. Every job has some inherent risk to it, especially just getting in your car to drive to work. Or if you're like me, I could fall off my chair today and break my neck and die. I suppose my IT job is dangerous too.

It doesn't mean I have disdain or dislike for other professions. Heck, I'm just some pussy sitting behind a keyboard typing all day. I'm too afraid to work in law enforcement. Where it is different for me is I won't go out of my way to say thank you and shake the hand of the cook who made the omelette for me at Denny's, where I may stop to shake the hand of a police officer when I am out and about and see them working.

Have I put that police officer up on a pedestal, immune from scrutiny and responsibility? Not at all. But I also recognize them for doing a job that is often overly unpleasant. Is being a cook at Denny's pleasant? Probably not, but it doesn't appear to me to be as dangerous as chasing criminals.

-Mike

But what of the significant number of careers that are even more dangerous? Do you feel the need to honor and respect linemen or loggers? I'm still not sure why getting killed while on the job as a cop is somehow more deserving of honor than getting killed on the job doing something else.

 

[bassinplace]

In my opinion, choosing a career as a law enforcement officer brings inherent risks and dangers that other professions do not. Especially so since those risks and dangers are known up front and happen daily. Every job has some inherent risk to it, especially just getting in your car to drive to work. Or if you're like me, I could fall off my chair today and break my neck and die. I suppose my IT job is dangerous too.

It doesn't mean I have disdain or dislike for other professions. Heck, I'm just some pussy sitting behind a keyboard typing all day. I'm too afraid to work in law enforcement. Where it is different for me is I won't go out of my way to say thank you and shake the hand of the cook who made the omelette for me at Denny's, where I may stop to shake the hand of a police officer when I am out and about and see them working. Would I never shake the hand of someone who prepared me a meal? Nope. If I eat out somewhere and have an extraordinary meal. I'll stop and thank the cooks and wait staff. I am thanking those people for a wonderful meal, not for protecting me and my community.

Have I put that police officer up on a pedestal, immune from scrutiny and responsibility? Not at all. But I also recognize them for doing a job that is often overly unpleasant. Is being a cook at Denny's pleasant? Probably not, but it doesn't appear to me to be as dangerous as chasing criminals.

-Mike

Interesting. Okay, thanks. How about construction workers, for example? They provide shelter and put themselves in all kinds of potentially dangerous situations. Probably more frequently than a cop. Would you find them any more or less honorable in comparison? Feel free not to answer, of course. I'm just genuinely curious.

 

[MJ5150]

But what of the significant number of careers that are even more dangerous? Do you feel the need to honor and respect linemen or loggers? I'm still not sure why getting killed while on the job as a cop is somehow more deserving of honor than getting killed on the job doing something else.

Do you think those in the military deserve more honor than a logger or linesman when they die?

You're focusing on the stats about how many of these people die while on the job, which I don't think is painting the whole picture. Where I am looking more at the amount of danger and type of danger one is exposed to in their profession.

-Mike

 

[MJ5150]

Interesting. Okay, thanks. How about construction workers, for example? They provide shelter and put themselves in all kinds of potentially dangerous situations. Probably more frequently than a cop. Would you find them any more or less honorable in comparison? Feel free not to answer, of course. I'm just genuinely curious.

I worked in construction for over 15 years, so I have some perspective on that question. During those years, I found myself in some dangerous situations, and even got myself injured. I also saw one woman die after getting run over by a scissor lift.

It was nice to get a thank you or a hand shake from a homeowner or building owner, but I never expected it. When they did, I wasn't being thanked for risking my life to build them a house. I was being thanked for doing a fine job building them a house.

Maybe I don't have a clue about what being a police officer is. Maybe they don't get themselves in dangerous situations as much as I think they do. Maybe they don't have to deal with criminals and scumbags as much as I think they do. Perhaps all they do is drive around and do paperwork.

-Mike

 

[bassinplace]

Do you think those in the military deserve more honor than a logger or linesman when they die?

You're focusing on the stats about how many of these people die while on the job, which I don't think is painting the whole picture. Where I am looking more at the amount of danger and type of danger one is exposed to in their profession.

-Mike

No, personally I don't. I think it's equally tragic whenever someone dies in the line of their chosen profession. I honestly don't see the difference. All people who work hard and make an honest living do so in the service of others. I don't believe there's a hierarchy involved when it comes to the reasons why someone might have died.

 

[MJ5150]

I agree, and it is tragic all around when someone dies while they are working, no matter what job they have. What though about showing honor/respect when someone dies in the line of service while protecting others....law enforcement, military, firefighter, etc.

How do you feel about Veterans Day?

-Mike

 

[bassinplace]

I agree, and it is tragic all around when someone dies while they are working, no matter what job they have. What though about showing honor/respect when someone dies in the line of service while protecting others....law enforcement, military, firefighter, etc.

How do you feel about Veterans Day?

-Mike

Veterans Day? It's a government appointed holiday. It's nice for the veterans, I suppose. Most people I think just see it as a reason to get a day off of work. I don't get it off, so I don't. I'm not a veteran, but have family members who are. I don't have any strong feelings about the holiday itself one way or the other.

 

[MJ5150]

The nature of Veterans Day is to honor those who have served in the military. Do you feel that military personnel should be singled out with a day to honor them?

-Mike

 

[Downunderwonder]

If you don't see a difference between dying by accident and dying at the hands of a criminal there is no point in debating much of anything with OP.

 

[bassinplace]

The nature of Veterans Day is to honor those who have served in the military. Do you feel that military personnel should be singled out with a day to honor them?

-Mike

I'm aware of what Veterans Day is. I have no qualms about giving them a day. Do I do anything special to honor veterans on that day? No. Do you? Like I said most people just take the day off of work. I don't see how that honors anyone other than the person getting a paid holiday.

 

[MJ5150]

I work that day like you do, but I try to make a point to stop and say thank you to a uniformed military person on Veterans Day.

-Mike

 

[DerHoggz]

If you don't see a difference between dying by accident and dying at the hands of a criminal there is no point in debating much of anything with OP.

That isn't what the argument is about. Dying on the job means dying while contributing to society, regardless of how it happens.

 

[Downunderwonder]

So there is a difference but it doesn't matter? Let me adjust, nah, I can't have a sensible conversation with someone who thinks like that. DUW out.

 

[DerHoggz]

That is fine, not wort having a discussion with someone who won't even consider other positions that differ from their preconceived notions.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

No, personally I don't. I think it's equally tragic whenever someone dies in the line of their chosen profession. I honestly don't see the difference. All people who work hard and make an honest living do so in the service of others. I don't believe there's a hierarchy involved when it comes to the reasons why someone might have died.

Not all veterans made the choice to be involved in the armed services.

Though don't get me wrong, tragic is tragic. Though I think there is a difference between someone wilfully trying to harm you vs negligence. In most courts you'll generally see them counted as different too.

 

[aborgman]

In my opinion, choosing a career as a law enforcement officer brings inherent risks and dangers that other professions do not. Especially so since those risks and dangers are known up front and happen daily. Every job has some inherent risk to it, especially just getting in your car to drive to work. Or if you're like me and work from home, I could fall off my chair today and break my neck and die. I suppose my IT job is dangerous too.

Being a police officer IS a dangerous job.

A police officer is about 9x as likely to die on the job as the average person.

Your IT job is safer than average. As is my engineering job.

...but there are a lot of jobs out there that have MORE inherent risks to them - and just like a police officer, those risks and dangers are known up front and happen daily.

That guy who goes up in a bucket truck in the middle of a pouring rainstorm to fix that live broken high voltage line? He's doing a service to protect the community, and he's MORE likely to die in the line of duty than a police officer.

I'm too afraid to work in law enforcement.

So am I.

I'm also too afraid to work in mining, or commercial fishing, or high steel, or power line repair, or any number of other dangerous occupations.

Have I put that police officer up on a pedestal, immune from scrutiny and responsibility? Not at all. But I also recognize them for doing a job that is often overly unpleasant. Is being a cook at Denny's pleasant? Probably not, but it doesn't appear to me to be as dangerous as chasing criminals.

It isn't. It's a good bit more dangerous (2-3x the fatality rate) of a desk job, and about twice as dangerous as being a firefighter - but it's far less dangerous than being a police officer.

...but a bunch of other jobs (farming, fishing, mining, driving taxi, bartending) ARE as dangerous as chasing criminals.

 

[aborgman]

You're focusing on the stats about how many of these people die while on the job, which I don't think is painting the whole picture. Where I am looking more at the amount of danger

Stats about how many of these people die while on the job are a direct objective measure of the amount of danger.

and type of danger one is exposed to in their profession.

That entails looking at injuries as well as fatalities - and having previously investigated those numbers, they make your fisherman/farmers/miners/etc. look even more impressive.

There is an even bigger discrepancy in injury numbers than in fatalities.

 

[aborgman]

What though about showing honor/respect when someone dies in the line of service while protecting others....law enforcement, military, firefighter, etc.

How do you feel about Veterans Day?

I think the military example is very complicated by the past experiences involving conscription.

Those folks didn't CHOOSE the military, and they deserve extra praise for doing an undesired duty.

I feel a similar sense of duty toward all those conscripted into public service - whether military, jury duty, or any other form.

 

[carl h.]

No posts yet on the visual presented in the title yet?

I'm so disappoint. :scowl:

 

[MatticusMania]

No posts yet on the visual presented in the title yet?

I'm so disappoint. :scowl:

Where are the cops?