"I Am Tired of This!"

I sat here watching the news last night while my wife Harley was cooking dinner. There was a news story of a Mobile, Alabama Police Officer that had been shot to death earlier in the day. I could not believe my eyes and ears. This was a young Police Officer killed by a 19 year old Male with Felony Warrants. The reporter stated that this Officer had a young wife and kids. The Mobile, Alabama Police Chief said that this is the 2nd Mobile Police Officer killed in a year’s time. 

Not only was Officer Tuder a Police Officer for the City of Mobile, Alabama, but he was a Specialist in the National Guard. This young man has served his country only to be killed in the line of duty in the United States. This is a terrible, terrible thing. 

Earlier this week a veteran of the Birmingham, Alabama Police Department was killed. He was a Sergeant with that Department. He was shot while talking to a suspect. A second Officer was as shot but survived. The Sergeant was 44 years old. I watched his funeral on Facebook. Agencies from all over including the Quad Cities attended the funeral. I saw a photo that sent chills down me. A lone Police Officer stood out in the pouring rain presenting honors to the deceased.

Yesterday, a Michigan Police Officer was shot in the face during a traffic stop. He was able to get back to his police car to radio for help. The suspect is still at large.

Ok, here is where the rant starts. I am so tired of this! This has to stop. I do have a relative that is a Police Officer in Nashville, TN. I pray for him each day. He has been there about 15 years. Every time I talk to him, he tells me it is not like it used to be. No one has respect for Law Enforcement Personnel. I cringe every time the phone rings and I see a TN number, thinking that it is a call where he has been hurt or killed.

I truly believe his statement. People don’t respect the Police anymore.

When I was a kid growing up in Decatur, if you got in trouble with the police you were afraid. Also, you knew if your parents found out, you were going to get into double trouble. My generation grew up looking up to Police Officers. Let me stop for a moment. When I say Police Officer, I mean all types. It doesn’t matter if it is a City Police Officer, State Trooper, Sheriff’s Deputy, University Police, Game Warden or Federal Law Enforcement, they should all be looked up to. They are doing a job many of us couldn’t and wouldn’t do.

These men and women miss meals, their kids' events, birthdays, holidays to be on the job. They get cold, hot, wet and hungry. They are dealing with good people who have had bad things happen to them but they are also dealing with the dregs of our Society. They do not get paid what they should to place their lives on the line for you and me.

Officer Tuder was killed by a 19 year Male. First it doesn’t matter if you're 10 years old or 50 years old, it’s wrong. Females kill just as fast. What makes these people think that killing a Police Officer is ok?

One of the problems in today’s Society is there is not proper punishment for crimes. I strongly believe if you kill a Police Officer, you should go to the front of the line for execution. Back in the Old West, we had Public Hangings. Maybe we should bring that back. In today’s Society, everyone is getting offended about everything. Where have True Values gone. Our kids are snorting Condoms and Tide Pods. Where is the sense in that?

Where did this downfall of respect come from? I am not sure. Some say it was the advent of MTV. I guess it could be. It introduced cultures to our young that they had not been previously seen. I remember when Ice-T had the song “F*&%K the Police” Where is that socially accepted? Our kids and adults don’t need to hear that garbage.

If our Police Officers continue to be killed off, it will not be long before they won’t protect us anymore. If that happens who are you going to call when your house gets broke into, or a drunk driver hits your mailbox, or your daughter has a wreck? No one. That’s right. NO ONE !!!

People, we have to make a change. We have to educate our children to look up to Police Officers. Stop them from listening to all this garbage music about killing the Police. Our children are our future. These men and women in blue, grey, tan, etc, are there to help us and safeguard us. Let’s show some appreciation. 

I went to the Officer Down Memorial Page while writing this article. This is what I found:

Police Officers killed in 2018: 148

Police Officers Killed in 2019: 9

This is UNACCEPTABLE. So many men and women killed before their lives were meant to be over. It hurts my heart to think about these Protectors of Society that lost the battle of tying to keep us safe. Their mothers, fathers, kids and relatives mourn their passing every day. I have seen on several websites that I looked at while doing research for this article, a Bible verse. The verse is:

Matthew 5:9 New International Version (NIV)

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

These Police Officers, these Children of God, are in fact the Blessed. Let’s treat them that way.

Rant over.


That’s it for now. But remember that the Midnight Rider will always be around to voice his/her/their (?) opinion.

I am and always will be...

The Midnight Rider