The saying, “there are two sides to every story” means there’s a right side and the wrong side. The true story can either be in plain sight or can be hidden away for many years. The truth is that most of the time,  no one ever knows the true story unless it’s the victim themselves or the attacker and it can be something that they may take to their grave. The only way to access the story is through a medium or someone who can communicate with the dead.  Anyone can tell a story but there’s no one who can tell a better story than the media especially when it comes to the police.

The protectors of our streets and our cities have their stories but everyone is quick to assume that they are just out to get everyone who is of a different color or religion but can’t always be the case. There are reports of “cops gone rogue” but there are also the reports of the kind, caring, honest cop. The fact is, the public listens more to the bad than the good.

These kind of incidents can happen anywhere and it has happened in our humble state. In the Downtown Salt Lake area, there was a teen who was shot down on the basis of him having a weapon of some sort in his hand. It started with a call to the police about the teen and another person having an argument then progressing to a fist fight. The police came and gave the teen a warning to drop his weapon. When he didn’t, he was then shot. This story has exploded into a million bits. Some are against the fact that the officer didn’t correctly see the object in hand thus he had no cause to shoot. Others argue in favor of the officer’s decision.

There are good policemen and women out there. There not as easy to find as bad cops are but they are out there. They are the ones who actually do their duties as a police officer. They help out those in need, they give teens chances to prove that they aren’t their stereotype, and they provide as much security as they can for people who may in danger. There is a specific story that comes the mind. It’s a story that exemplifies how officers should be. The story starts with a boy who was living in a poor area and wasn’t blessed with much. When the responding officer to the scene at his house, he realized that he didn’t have a bed. He was sleeping on some sort of mat on the floor with blankets and a pillow. The officer was so moved by this that he went out and bought a bed for the boy and even bought a gaming system for the boy. See, they’re not all bad.

Seeing the good in people can be hard but when it comes to the police force, it can be especially excruciating. We just think of all the bad stories when the word “cop” comes to mind. They’re just as normal as you and I but those who make it harder for the public to view our protectors instill fear in the country, states, and cities.