Until you’ve strapped a bullet proof vest over your spouse.
Until you’ve kissed them goodbye in the morning and didn’t know if they would come home safe.
Until you’ve attended a funeral for a coworker who died in the line of duty.
Until you’ve had to dry your child’s tears because someone called their Daddy a racist monster.
Until you’ve had bricks thrown at your front window.
Until you’ve pulled an unresponsive baby from a swimming pool.
Until you’ve looked at a rape victim and told them the DA didn’t want to press charges.
Until you’ve run towards a fire, a bomb scene, a mob, or into gunfire.
Until you’ve had shots fired at you.
Until you’ve seen someone murdered for their $300 shoes.
Until you’ve had someone with absolutely zero education tell you their “feelings” make you a criminal.
Until you’ve opened the back of an 18-wheeler to find the remains of 24 people in it.
Until you’ve held the hand of an elderly woman and explained to her that her husband didn’t make it.
Until you’ve had to execute a search warrant.
Until you’ve had to make the decision between pulling a trigger and coming home to your family.
Until you’ve had the country decide your life is less important than the ability of a criminal to violently resist arrest.
Until you’ve spent every major holiday and weekends alone while your spouse was on duty.
Until you’ve gone through tactical training.
Until you’ve had someone tell you a knife is not a deadly weapon even though you just left a call where someone was stabbed to death.
Until you’ve had the country tell you that they would prefer you just get shot instead of protecting the population.
Until you’ve texted your family “I love you” because you weren’t sure you were going to come out of your next call alive.
Until you’ve had an unemployed 26 year old that still lives with his mama tell you he could “do your job better.”
Until you’ve gone through fire-arm proficiency training.
Until you are extremely educated on what the law actually says and you can differentiate feelings from facts.
Until you’ve pulled bullets out of your washing machine.
Until you’ve lost a partner.
Until your “bad day” at work means that you didn’t come home to your family at the end of the day.
Until you’ve stopped someone from committing suicide.
Until you’ve de-escalated an armed shooter.
Until your spouse gives their life to save another person.
Until you’ve heard your spouse cry in the shower because he couldn’t save a 4 year old that got shot.
Until you’ve been spit on, bricks hurled at you, lasers shone in your eyes, vomited on, peed on, and other bodily fluids smeared all over you.
Until you’ve had someone walk up to your car window and try to ambush you.
Until you’ve had people tell you they want “justice” but are dead silent when your brothers and sisters are murdered.
Until you’ve had 20-hour workdays in the freezing rain, extreme smoke and heat, and pounding storms.
Until you’ve given your life for a stranger.
Unless you’ve had to deal with a scene involving the charred remains of a child.
Until you’ve had celebrities with an armed security personal tell you they want to “defund” you.
Until you’ve had restaurant workers spit in your food because of the uniform you wear.
Until you’ve been told your life doesn’t “exist” because others don’t understand the family you identify with.
Until you’ve been told that your family should die.
Until you’ve had everyone you work with stereotyped as “bastards.”
Until you’ve been told you “chose” this as the country wages a war on your profession.
Until you’ve had people who claim to “love” everyone scream in your face that they hope you die.
Until you’ve walked a mile in my family’s shoes……don’t use my husband and our family as a talking point in your political debate.
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