Police are also human. They have family, remember, they have children, they have a wife, they have parents. They know what it is like to be a human. So, if any police did something wrong, it’s just individual. (Yes, Master.) Single cases.
(Master, there’s also been a lot of people protesting in the United States and also around the world.) Yes. (Civil unrests of one sort or another. Master, would You have any advice to give to the police and the protestors at this time?)
Yes. I have also been thinking about that. Good that the question comes up, because I really feel pain. I feel the pain for the victims, so-called victims of the police, as well as the police themselves. (Yes, Master.) But I have to tell you straight and first of all that we need the police. (Yes.) To defund the police or to demolish the police force is not the answer. (Yes, Master.) Not when our societies everywhere at large are still in such a state as we are in right now. (Yes, Master.) They said that one time, something like less police and the crime rose up in, I can’t remember, maybe Chicago or something. (Yes, Master.) It would be. The presence of the police – sometimes they just run around, they’re not doing anything – but the presence of the police, it gives people kind of a second thought if they wanted to do something bad. (Yes, Master.) It will remind them of prison, of penalty. That means being away from families and friends and goodbye to freedom. (Yes, Master.) At least for a while, or forever even, it depends on the nature of the crime. So, the presence of the police is necessary in our society at the moment. (Yes, Master.) That is foremost.
Number two, the police are the assets, the good, good assets of any country. They have been trained to do many things – even midwife, they can even deliver a baby. I mean, if they have to, emergency-wise. And they can do CPR to help the unconscious people, or babies or children even. Or even help in many ways that I probably forget to mention. I’m not the police, I’m just guessing this way. I’m just thinking from what I know. (Yes, Master.) The presence of the police is necessary as long as our society has not behaved well in general. (Yes, Master.) And it can help to lessen crime. It can help to restore order in some areas. And it helps save lives also. We should be also very grateful to the police, (Yes, Master.) everywhere.
(You guys did great work, I’m so proud of everybody. You are my heroes. I want to say: Don’t stop, please don’t give up. Many do not care or appreciate the sacrifices that you make everyday. But I do. Many are standing with me today to let you know that you matter. Officers all across America, you matter to me, please keep taking care of us.)
I even wrote a poem for the police. (Oh, wow!) You don’t know? (No, Master.) You did know. Some of you don’t know. You can put it back on for everybody to see it. (OK, Master.) If you can find the poem. I don’t have it with me. I’m sure you have it somewhere.
Poem by Supreme Master Ching Hai: “The Quiet Hero” (To all the good policemen)
In the freezing wintry gust
You stand tall like a colossal Greek statue
The ocean storm seems to veer away from you
Awed by that indomitable courage!
In the sweltering haze of summer-noon
Your dignified smile diffuses complaints
The high sun would take flight, shy of your endurance.
In the chaos of traffic hour
Your assuring arms restore order
Never expecting a thanks.
When I forget to slow down on busy streets
You reproach me back to safe speed.
When I lock myself out at midnight
You “welcome home” with the master key and a smile!
When I am lost on the stressful motorway
You drive with me to the right place.
You even speak my language
Well! You did try...
Tough on the baddies
Soft on the meeks.
Though having to deal much
With negative sides of human characters
Surprisingly, your heart still reserves plenty of trust.
In ten thousand ways
You show your genuine goodness!
I remember
When we first met
You carried me off to the roadside
(My second failed attempt
On a motorbike)
You were yelling at the paramedics
“Do something, do something!
Will she be all right?
Will she be all right?”
Your face was like
That of a worried father
Your aura was like
That of an angel’s
The face I will always remember
For the rest of my life.
Oh yes, I know you well
In a foreign town
In my home village
In a scary alley so narrow and dark
On a deserted beach at dawn...
You are mostly alone
Or just with God!
You are the day-to-day bravest soldier
Fighting a constant war
Against violence and injustice
Saving the weak
Shielding the innocent.
Putting your life at risk
To keep safety and peace
For your co-citizens
And for the ones you don’t know even:
Like me eh! “Just a tourist...”
But I am also the public
Who is inspired to write you this poem.
For it is Noël
And this shall be our modest gift:
A feedback ribboned with something positive
Packeted with Love and sealed with
Respect that’s due to you.
So that someday, when you feel: you are through
Dealing with darkness!
You may remember this letter somehow
Knowing the public loves you!
It’s just that society still breeds defects, so inexplicable!
But we’ll all try different ways to mend...
Now it is a special season
And I am not sure what to send!
(You know... to a police!)
So just sincerely wish you a nice Christmas
As the old year rolls to an end:
May we all start a happy life afresh
May our days bear pleasant events.
Hopefully they will all vanish, “the bads”
But even then
It’s always nice to see a police around
Walking tall, looking good, talking proud
In the uniform that represents protectiveness.
Strong but fair, humble but fearless
You are the Quiet Hero
Who “love what we do” (*)
And the people love you ♥
♥ CDLA ♥
~~~ ♥ ~~~
(*) Quote from a policeman, met on the street in Monaco.
Now, the police, they are also human. (Yes.) They also commit mistakes and errors. (Yes.) But they have been trained to restrain also. When I was in other countries, I was nice to the police. For example, one time they stopped me, the car, to check out my papers. (Yes, Master.) And I took out all the papers and gave them to him. It was in the evening, and the wind was very strong. It was in Europe. And the paper was flapping away, and I used my hand to hold on the corner for him. And I also used my flashlight in the other hand to shine it on for him to read. (Yes.) And I asked him, “Can you read it at all?” And he was softened immediately. He was kind of police-like before. “Your paper? Your driver’s license? Where are You from?” But after that, he was very soft. He said, “Thank You.” You see? Police are also human. They have family, remember, they have children, they have a wife, they have parents. They know what it is like to be a human. So, if any police did something wrong, it’s just individual. (Yes, Master.) Single cases. So, if he’s wrong, then just maybe lecture him, that person, or even ban him from the police force or imprison him even. But just that person. Not to blanket the whole police force, because there are many good policemen. (Right, Master.)
There are good police. (Yes, Master.) Many, if you compare to these incidents and the whole number of the police force, then you know the majority of the police are doing a good job. (Yes, Master.) People trust them. Therefore, there are some protests, I saw it on the news. Sometimes I have to scan the news for you guys. And I saw some protests against the police, but some people also go out to erase that. (Yes.) Some individuals say, “That police killed that person, but he helped my family.” Something like that. Because the police are helpers also. Suppose there’s no police on the highway ever, everybody forgets sometimes and driving so fast, crazily when drugged or alcohol-ed, then imagine how many accidents would happen. (Yes, Master.) Even the police just parks on the side of the highway, not doing anything, but people see him, and they are reminded to slow down, to drive slowly. And thus, you never know, could have avoided many accidents. And many lives have been saved. Not to talk about the police came to rescue in some car accidents and help people and restore people’s lives. Or bring them to hospital, call the emergency service, etc., etc. (Yes, Master.) People should know, in this world there is no perfection. So, we have to take the majority. If the majority of goodness outweighed the minority of negativity, then we have to accept it. Like in your house, if one corner of the house is broken, you don’t have to demolish the whole house. You just fix that corner. (Right. Yes.) So, I think people should think twice and let the police do their job. He was in the right place at the right time.
The police don’t always harass the Black people. I saw they also measure similar force or similar action on the white people, on women as well. Children also. Depends on the situation. (Yes, Master.) They don’t just shoot, I mean out of the moment, only the Black people. Also, they did the same to the white people. You saw that, right? (Yes, we did, Master.) So, it’s not fair to say that the police just treat the Black people not well. And even if they do, please, the people have to reflect inside whether or not you are doing well in the society, you are doing your citizen’s duty or not. Did you respect the law? Or something. Because sometimes just one or two do something wrong, then people have a prejudice against the whole lot. (Yes.) Similar to the police, they are also human. Police are not saints. I am sorry, I wish they are. But if they are saints, I don’t think they can do the police job. (Yes. Right, Master.) The police are trained to be doing this kind of action. And sometimes they accidentally shoot somebody, Black or white, it’s not their intention to kill. Imagine you.
The police’s job, I think, is more dangerous than even a soldier’s on a combat ground, because the soldiers, they don’t go very near the so-called enemies to shoot. Mostly they are hidden in the barracks or something. (Yes, Master.) They are safe somewhere. In some measure, they are safe. But the police, they have to face-to-face by just a few meters, or just even face-to-face immediate. He has to stop a car and ask for a driver’s license, and have a breath test whether or not he is drunk driving or drug driving. And he is face-to-face. I saw some news that even the driver just pulled the trigger and shot the police right there. Did you see these news? (Yes, Master.) So, the police always are in the danger. And nobody thinks about that. They are in dangerous situations, most of the time. (Yes, Master.) So, when they are facing with the so-called suspect, and if the suspect did something, I mean more suspectful, then the police have no time to think. (Yes.) He might think that that suspect wanted to shoot his colleague, then he has to react immediately. This becomes trained, and becomes like automatic, and they had no time to think. Either they survive or the suspect. (Yes, Master.) They cannot think right away. They cannot. They’re not in the safety zone to think. So, they might shoot, and it might be a mistake. They would not want to do that. No police would want to just shoot people at random. (Right, Master.) It’s something that triggered that. (Yes, Master.) Because they’re always in danger. They have to protect themselves and protect their colleagues and/or others, bystanders or victims. They have to protect them all. (Yes.) So, we have to take all this into consideration and give the police a chance. Because all these things demoralize the police’s mental service attitude. They’re scared, they feel sad, they feel down, they feel depressed. (Yes.) Because many of them did really put their life on the line to help people and they sincerely do that. That’s why they joined the police force, to help the good and to deal with the bad. (Yes, Master.) Most police have this mental ideal before they joined the force. Otherwise, they would do something else. And to be a police, it’s very hard training. You know that? (Yes.) It’s as much as the army. And they don’t have as much protection as the army people. I am not police; I don’t have any police in my family at the moment, nothing. I just talk fairly and justly. (Yes.) And I hope anybody who went against the police, please forgive me.
