Dont Taze Me Bro!

John F. Kennedy once wrote a book called Profiles in Courage about politicians in the US who made particular decisions at particular time that changed the course of America in one way or another. While there was a certain element of courage to what they did, in reality much of it was more of a gamble. Perhaps they were willing to roll the dice but I am not convinced it was 100% courage. They normally had something very significant to gain with whatever they were doing (as is a motive for a lot of politicians). So when I think of courage, my definition is different. Instead of trying to give you something you might find in Webster’s, I thought it would be better to show you someone in my life who demonstrates it.

The first person I wanted to profile is my brother in law JR Phillips. JR is one of the most unassuming people you could ever meet. He is pretty quiet, very dedicated, and works harder than most men. In plain clothes you would never assume he is a cop. No 70’s mustache, no big belly, none of the cliches that follow most cops around. To be honest, physically he resembles more Ichabod Crane than John McLain. JR has a lot to admire and I think one of these things is that all he has ever wanted to do was be a cop. Since he could think on his own he has trained himself, readied himself, to protect and to serve. There is something very noble about that, something I respect deeply. When I first met JR 10 years ago, I thought he was a nice guy, but that we wouldn’t have much in common. He isn’t into sports, outdoors, Civil War, or just about anything I am in to. After 10 years, despite the fact that we have different interests, I look up to him more than I ever thought possible.

One thing 9-11 did was show us true courage. I think one of the questions that all of us have asked ourselves at one point, particularly men, is would we have run into the building like so many of New York’s Police and Fire Fighters did? We all say we would when we are sitting safely on our couches but who knows how we would have really reacted. Many of us have the best intentions but when faced with that danger, would the love of our wives, or the desire to see our kids grow, be too strong of a pull to keep us from acting? The fact is most of us will never be faced with that decision (thankfully) and it is not in our job descriptions. Those brave men on 9-11 did just that and this is something that JR faces every day he walks out the door. Life is so fragile that anytime you kiss your loved ones goodbye it could be the last but the majority of us don’t sign up for that on a regular basis. While there are those who sign up to keep us safe and as a result go to foreign soil (more on that later), JR is an example of someone who does it here on our streets. As a cop you never know what you’re going to face and the moment you let your guard down could be the moment the routine traffic violation turns into something else. It is because of people like JR, we truly sleep safe at night.  Next time you complain about putting on a tie for your job be grateful that you don't have to put on a Kevlar vest.

I had the pleasure of riding along with JR one night and I would highly recommend everyone to do this if you ever get the chance. I honestly didn’t think it was something I could do more than a few hours. After breaking up a fight, pulling over a few people, I realized I wish I didn’t have another engagement because I could have spent another 3 hours in that cruiser. I hope that the next time you either interact with a cop or see one on TV that you stop and think that the vast majority of the cops out there are just like JR. Good men and women, who love their families, and are willing to sacrifice everything so you don’t have too. It is one thing to have heroes hanging on posters on your wall, or in the movies you watch. It is another to have them in your family.