I'm getting more than a little sick of the meme which begins "Police officers go out and risk their lives for us every day....", or "Being a police officer is a very dangerous job....", etc. Really?? And these words are always dusted off and carted out in full-throated defense of the disturbingly long list of our fine, fine police officers when they shoot/kill unarmed citizens. It's always "I feared for my safety!". Or, "I felt threatened!". Or "I thought he had a gun!". I thought these assholes were supposed to be such tough guys? They sure seem awfully quick to fight dirty when they "feel threatened" by an unarmed, non-threatening citizen. So what about this so very, very dangerous job of theirs which causes them to be so skittish and have such an itchy trigger finger an allows them to repeated get away with murder?
Follow me below the fold to see a list of jobs in America which resulted in as many or more on-the-job deaths than our glorious cops last year.
A Washington Post story (http://www.washingtonpost.com/...) quoted an FBI report which states that 27 cops were killed by guns in the line of duty in 2013. Which is consistent with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund number (http://www.nleomf.org/...). Again, 27 cops killed by firearms in the line of duty in 2013. Let's take a look at a list of equally or more dangerous jobs, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), defined as one-the-job deaths in that same year of 2013 (http://www.bls.gov/...).
Crop Production (aka Farmer): 210
Cattle Ranching/Farming (aka Cowboy): 105 (FYI, cows MUCH more dangerous than pigs. I'll restrain myself from making the obvious cop joke here)
Forestry and Logging (aka Lumberjack): 81
Fishing (aka Fisherman): 26
Mining (aka Miner): 154
Roofing Contractor (aka Roofer): 77
Electrical Contractor (aka Electrician): 58
Plumbing Contractor (aka Plumber): 52
Painting and Wall Covering Contractor (aka Painter): 35
Merchant Wholesalers (aka WTF???): 107
Automobile Dealer (aka Used Car Salesman): 25
General Freight Trucking (aka Trucker): 296 (God bless you guys!)
Taxi Service (aka Taxi Driver): 44 (FYI, Limousine Driver only 3)
Couriers (aka Bike Messengers): 27
Securities and Financial Investments (aka Stock Broker): 1 (OK, nowhere near the 27 cop deaths last year, but this number should be MUCH higher)
Waste Collection (aka Garbageman): 31
Full Service Restaurant (aka Waiter/Waitress/Chef/Bartender): 43
Limited Service Restaurants (aka Fast Food: 32 (although probably none from Dunkin Donuts because of all those awesome cops in there keeping things safe)
Auto Repair (aka Mechanic): 70
Personal and Laundry Services (aka Maid): 32 (Damn it's a bitch getting blood out of the whites!)
So there you have it. Jobs that were as or more dangerous than being a cop last year. And that's not even the full list, folks. I just wonder how many people in these extremely dangerous occupations who DIDN'T die on the job last year were forced to shoot/kill an unarmed citizen just to be on the safe side.
And before anyone tries to interject the question of "# of deaths per capita of the occupations in question", let me first just say BULLSHIT! No one from the occupations above are requesting and being granted a license to kill. Particular to kill people of a skin tone they don't particularly care for.
In closing I'll just say: I. Hate. Cops.