Yesterday, in our North Carolina community, there was a memorial service for two police officers killed in the line of duty. Thousands of people attended, including police representatives from three states. Prominent religious leaders spoke. The service was broadcast by at least two TV stations from a large city located about 100 miles away. It was a really, really big deal.
Yesterday, in any number of American cities, black teenagers who weren’t being paid to protect the public were shot and killed. Their deaths were barely noted on the local news.
All of these deaths were tragedies, but the public only cared about the police officers. The implicit assumption is that they matter far more than average citizens even though they, unlike most of us, are supported by the taxpayers and voluntarily assume the risks of their job. I don’t accept that. It’s just not right.