To the Editor:
Imagine you are a husband with a pretty wife and two small, school-age children. Only one thing has changed from life as we know it today. But here are the results. You never go outside your home without your bullet-proof vest and you always carry a gun with you. Your wife and you have taken your children out of school because there have been so many kidnappings. Gangs of young people vandalize the parks, destroying public and private property at will. People speed along the streets, many ignoring stop signs or red lights. Many of your friends and relatives have either been shot to death or have wounds from gunshots or knives. You and your family live in fear and worry for your lives most of the time!
What is missing from this scene that we have today? Easy question! Our policemen! We should thank God every day for those men and women who put their lives on the line so that we can live safe and peaceful lives. My daughter recently had to do a study of the history of South Carolina, and for a time in this state’s early history, many areas had no police. The result? Uncontrollable robberies, killings, rape, etc.
Of course, policemen and women are human and not perfect. But I would rather have imperfect policemen than no police. A lot of attention and praise has been given to our soldiers abroad, and rightly so. However, let’s not forget those who risk their lives daily to make sure we can live safely, free from crime and violence. God help and bless our policemen and women! Our lives would be a nightmare without them.
JIM FICO