Letters to the Editor
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It's a lousy job that doesn't pay particularly well, with high stress and irregular hours. I hate to ask what the benefits are
you can say the same thing about teachers, social workers, many many public servants. Sure, some are attracte for the wrong reasons, as are accountants (who embezzle money), lawyers (who embezzsle trust funds), or anyone else.
The truth is, most public servants chose their jobs because they want to help their community. They want to leave a better place and hope their time spent on this earth was to make it a better place. Social workers, urban planners, inspectors, police officers, etc. All think they can help their community. Most municipalities have better retirement plans than private employers.
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Yes - thank her
As a law-abiding citizen, I am glad that there is someone out there protecting me, and awed that they would risk their life in order to do so. The one interaction I've had that involved police intervention showed me, first, just how dangerous police work really is, and second, how dedicated cops are to protecting people's safety.
LW's sister is probably overexcited at the idea of her new role - and I don't blame her. It's an exciting role. There are lots of TV shows that glorify that role. There are lots of cool and exciting paraphernalia that go with the role. Nothing wrong with being overexcited, as long as it doesn't lead to doing her job badly (and it doesn't seem to). She'll settle down in a while.
But that aside, I am grateful that there are people, like the LW's sister, who are willing to risk their lives to do this thankless and dangerous job.
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On the positive
She sounds pretty funny to me.
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your average police officer is a not very bright high school bully
is it any wonder they gravitate to such witticisms as "keep moving; nothing for you to see here". as for "they are needed", yes, just as attack dogs were needed by early man to fend off wolves. there are many unwanted kittens, is "it's a tough job but some has to do it" a reason to make killing them a vocation? this can come close to home. my youngest son is big and can put on a scary face, he wanted to be a bouncer because one of his friends is doing it and it PAYS A LOT OF MONEY. since he's 19, that it might be dangerous holds no water so i said, i don't want you to be overseer for some white plantation owner. didn't work. i said, what if someone insults you (easy to happen if you have "the hair") and you take that to work and hurt someone more than you should, just because you were angry all day. it's bad for your soul. didn't work. so i fell back on my role. I'M YOUR FATHER AND YOU ARE NOT DOING IT. PERIOD. it must have worked, he's not talking about it any more.
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My Experience
Having worked previously as both a jailer and a law enforcement officer, I can tell you there is tremendous pressure within the subculture of both jobs to conform to certain beliefs. As you might suspect, not all of those beliefs are positive ones. If you don't conform, you're treated as an outsider, which can be dangerous.
I conformed initially, but I got so irritated with the cop mindset that I had to leave for another part of the system. It's this whole "thin blue line" BS, and the "whoa is me," look-at-what-cops-have-to-put-up-with sort of thing. I started to buy into it, but ultimately realized that being a cop is choice. If it sucks that bad, go do something else.
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the work that police, jailers, prosecutors, etc. do. I just think there's an unrealistic emphasis on how terrible and dangerous the jobs are. My experience was that 90% of the time, it was pretty boring. There were dangerous incidents, but they were few and far between. There are much more dangerous jobs (coal mining and fire fighting, for example) but we don't here too much from either of these groups about how terrible things are for them.
My advice to the LW is not to accept the cop talk and to actively counter it when she does hear it. When sis talks about how awful criminals are, remind her of how many wonderful, law-abiding folks there are (the vast majority of people). When she calls your friend a "black female," remind her of your friend's name, "You mean Jane, right?" Just don't put up with it. It's a silly subcultural quirk that has no basis in reality.
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re: I figure if that's what they want to be then they should hang out with all their cop buddies and leave the rest of us the hell alone.
until you need one - and then it's wah, wah, wah - ms officer...
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re: When that happens, document it, seek verification and, if you can verify any abuses - report her to her superiors and the press immediately.
I wonder which is worse, babygrumpass - a bad a cop or a sibling who turns in her sister!
Man, you must hate life!
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Mr Jones hit it:
"The fact that someone actually wants to be a cop should automatically disqualify them [sic] getting the job."
Aside from the lousy syntax, Jonesy, yer on the mark.
Love the non-very-bright-high-school bullies call, too.
C'mon, people. Cops and crooks--merely a matter of perspective. The DNA is identical.
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I've often thought we should look at how...
...we incentivize law enforcement careers. As others have noted, these jobs suck on paper. However, much we want to play up the appeal of the "protect and serve" ideal, we shouldn't overlook the allure of power, the gun, the badge, not to mention the intensely voyeuristic aspects of the job.
What other career gives you a front row seat for all the real sex and violence and drama that everyone else has to head to theaters to see? And while your knee-deep in this seamy world, you enjoy the symbolic absolution afforded by that shiny badge.
Of course, this isn't an accurate picture of most police work, just like flying jet fighters isn't an accurate portrayal of life in the Navy. But these have to be selling points for a lot of emotionally and socially maladjusted individuals. And I don't trust psych evaluations to have a real impact on police rolls. There's too much need for boots on the ground.
The LW is in a tough spot. It's a creepy culture his sister is in.
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The LW writes:
"She packs a pistol in her belt and another one on her ankle everywhere she goes -- church, our parents' house and elsewhere."
As others have noted, she is new to this career, and in time, she may chill a bit. But right NOW, she is dangerous - to you, your family, and any young children who might be fascinated by her firearms. Try to love her from a distance. Do NOT let your own children spend time in her house or in her prescence unless you are on her like white on rice. Do NOT let her stay in your house over night, and do NOT stay in her house over night. In her state, she is liable to plug the damn family dog.
She has clearly gone off the deep end; pray that she comes back to you but in the meantime, you have an obligation to protect yourself and other family members.