Author’s Note: Interestingly, this is probably more applicable today than it was on the day I wrote it in 2006. That was on (or near) Thanksgiving and I can only imagine I wrote this as the result of having a conversation with someone about how society should be more thankful for the law enforcement professionals. Isn’t it a shame that has to be pointed out? As we move toward a new year, now just a few days away, I encourage our contemporary warriors to stay steadfast and strong. I encourage those under their protection to remain appreciative and respectful. Read on. Email comments welcome.
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All too often in our contemporary world we get information that we really don't appreciate, don't believe, or don't want to believe. The source of the information - the person we hear it from or the news media we read it in - often bears the brunt of our consternation. Thankfully they are on television or it's the newspaper we're holding (and crumbling?). The inability of today's society to accept "bad news" without losing control of their own frustrations or anger often perplexes me. What do people expect? Our news media - all of it - sells sensationalism. BAD news is easily sensationalized. BAD news gets peoples' attention. Good news is often perceived as "filler" because the news service(s) don't have any "real" news to report. What's a shame is that all of the "bad" news we hear (or see) is so often tainted by the "impartial" news service so that when we actually hear the news without any slant people perceive that straight-forward reporting as "slanted" or inaccurate.
What we, as the warrior community, can never accept is the "slanting" of any type of news or intelligence that makes it easier for us to hear. We don't deal in what we like or don't like. We deal in reality. Often, we deal with the ugliest and harshest realities. We do this because we can, and someone has to. As we carry this burden, though, there is another that we have to accept and deal with: those we protect will very often be happy to criticize us for what we've done, and they'll do so based on information gleaned from slanted sources; they'll buy into the sensationalism and believe that we've done something wrong.
While it is more than frustrating to have those we protect and serve or protect and defend use the 1st Amendment rights we protect for them to speak freely and criticize us, we have to recognize up front that this is one of the risks of our work. Throughout modern history this has been the bane of fighting men (and women). To get past these issues - to deal with the fact that we can be unappreciated at the time when circumstances call on us to deal with the absolute worst mankind can offer - there are a few quotes that I think might be of benefit:
"Above all, we must realize that no arsenal or no weapon in the arsenals of the world is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have. It is a weapon that we as Americans do have. Let that be understood by those who practice terrorism and prey upon their neighbors." -Ronald Reagan
I start with that because it is of utmost importance. Americans are free to choose their own destinies and, by and large, they don't choose the easy road. Justice... Liberty... Peace... Happiness... these are things available to everyone in America, but you must work for them. That effort: that dedication to the pursuit of your desires is what makes Americans great. BUT our ability to set aside our own desires during times of national crisis and to help those around us is what makes us stand head and shoulders above the rest of humanity. Our country was founded on the belief that everyone should be free to live as they choose; BUT, when anyone comes to threaten our myriad ways of life, then we should band together and stand against that enemy. Let us never lack the courage of our convictions.
"Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity." -George Patton
It is one of the rules of my marriage: My wife can tell me what to do OR how to do it, but NOT BOTH. If you are in a leadership role, please don't fall victim to the micro-managing syndrome. LEAD but don't control.
"Of every 100 men: 10 shouldn't even be here 80 are nothing but targets 9 are real fighters... we are lucky to have them... they the battle make. Ah, but the one, one of them is a Warrior And he will bring the other back." -Heraclitus, 500 BC
This is one of LtCol. Dave Grossman's favorite quotes and he repeats it with a HUGE smile on his face. He does so, as best I can tell, because he uses it to encourage every contemporary warrior to be THE ONE. We all know some of the ten... we know plenty of the 80... We're proud to know anyone one of the 9... but we're usually too humble to ever consider ourselves THE ONE. I submit to you that if you're the leader of the 9, then you ARE the ONE.
And finally...
"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling that thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself." -John Stuart Mill
There it is. We who consider ourselves contemporary warriors have acknowledged and accepted the reality that, as violent, disgusting and harsh as war is, it's not the worst thing that can happen to us. The worst thing that can happen to us is when we care so little and lower our values so much, that we don't consider anything worth fighting for. I was once told that a true man knows that nothing is worth violence. Given the source I had to question the statement. Decades later I've long known that he was clueless. While some mouth moralistic sounding pacifist platitudes about peace and how wrong violence is; never justified and always cruel; those same people live and breathe under the banner of protection provided by men and women in uniform. Those men and women in uniform - whether it's military or law enforcement - allow those pacifists a safe haven to live in. Usually, it's those very same unappreciative pacifists who loudly criticize how those in uniform act.
I'm reminded of the statement made by the fictional Marine Corps Colonel Nathan R. Jessup in "A Few Good Men":
"I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I prefer you said thank you and went on your way."
To all of the sheeple in the country, I say this on behalf of every contemporary warrior:
Be thankful we are here even when you're ashamed of how we've acted or spoken. We are good men and women doing the harshest of jobs; we go where you don't dare; we stand between you and what you're afraid of; we protect and defend and serve you and your family; we don't ask for you to say "thank you" every day, but damn it would be nice if, just every now and then, you weren't so quick to criticize us for how we dealt with something you don't even have the guts to face. You're only other option is to criticize and bemoan what we do... until we can be effective no longer and you're left at the mercy of those who have no code of honor; no decency; no value of human life. WE have seen what that can be like; you wouldn't have, and won't, survive it.
BE SAFE!
Lt. Frank Borelli (ret), Editorial Director | Editorial Director
Lt. Frank Borelli is the Editorial Director for the Officer Media Group. Frank brings 20+ years of writing and editing experience in addition to 40 years of law enforcement operations, administration and training experience to the team.
Frank has had numerous books published which are available on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, and other major retail outlets.
If you have any comments or questions, you can contact him via email at [email protected].
