Put blame where it belongs, not on police

You know, even in Sandpoint where we know we have excellent police officers who are here regardless of the low pay because they love this place, we still love to play backseat driver.

Go out and ride with these guys some time. The liquor store robber shot at a sheriff’s deputy, leaving a bullet hole in his uniform. That is all that matters. If a person will shoot at an armed cop, he will shoot at anyone.

All of you who profess to know him — did you think he’d rob a liquor store and shoot at a cop? Well, he did both. And now he’s dead. Why blame the cops — blame the armed robber.

This society is always so quick to blame the victims and blind to a little thing called personal responsibility and a horrible trend in society called suicide by cop. Maybe you should move to a country that doesn’t allow its police to protect themselves. Or maybe you should get all the facts. Or maybe you should choose your friends better.

We have all heard it before. Those boys at Columbine were good boys. The freeway snipers and others were always good people, good neighbors that no one could hardly believe it when their crimes came out. Mothers and fathers saying “my baby woldn’t have done that” when he did. No wonder crime is on the rise with such a finger-pointing, scape-goating bunch of people.

These guys did their jobs and they succeeded since at the end of the day, they were alive, got to go home to their families and prevented any other damage or loss of life this guy was trying to accomplish.

Maybe people who think this is so horrible should start giving to their community, becoming volunteer officers and then we can send them in to negotiate with the shooters. I don’t care what any of you anti-police people say — when you are in danger or under threat, you call 911 and you expect a person you don’t even know to face that threat at the risk of losing their life.

If you were robbed at gunpoint and were in fear of your life, your first call would be to the very ones you criticize. Thank you, deputies, for doing your jobs in a heroic manner that prevented further damage.

CATHY JORDAN

Sandpoint