By B Nengnong
Different strokes for different folks. People will always have different views and opinions. Some will fall into the category of, “You can silence 50 scholars with 1 fact,” while some will fall into, “you can’t silence 1 fool with 50 facts.” That is what our city has become, it seems. The former will never take hasty actions, while the latter are quick to bark without waiting for facts.
The same people who would praise the police department for doing their job, catching criminals, cracking the nation’s sensational case, are the same people who give a dog a bad name and hang them.
From: “Great job @meghalayapolice more power to you all”, “Meghalaya police – the true heroes”, “We the people of Meghalaya are really proud of our police department.”
To: “We don’t need the Meghalaya police,” “They are faking news because they couldn’t catch the culprit,” “The Meghalaya police are well stuffed with cash.” This disparity highlights a deeper issue, that people would ignore the 99 right actions by them but imprint “THAT” 1 wrong doing.
When the police follow law and order, they’re often criticized for being too strict. Yet, when they don’t take action, they’re criticized for being ineffective. It’s a no-win situation. Do they know that mandatory steps are to be taken in doing their job?
You want to be protected by the law, doing things according to the law, and when the police do it, you are all criticizing them and instead, want to take things into your own hands. When they don’t take things into account, you’re criticizing them for being useless and when they do, they’re still being criticized.
A recent incident involving physical assault of drug addicts illustrates this. You were told to refrain from such acts because you would then be the one breaking the law. Yet, some say the police are biased towards addicts, when in reality, they’re trying to maintain law and order.
People with such a mindset don’t know what it’s like to be in their shoes and do their work. You think it is a piece of cake? If so, what is stopping you from joining the police department? Instead of barking and criticizing, you could be the heroes that you all try to act, and fight all crimes within a day.
I’m not trying to be biased here, but these are facts. Have you ever wondered that they too have rules and regulations to abide by? They can’t just do whatever they want whenever they want? I’m sure they hear the public’s cries, anger and frustration, but at times they are left with no choice but to follow the protocol that’s being assigned to them.
Hence, this makes them an enemy to the ordinary eye. They are trained to not let emotions get in the way of work and remain impartial, but that doesn’t make them less of a human, or that they don’t care about the community, just because they don’t show it doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Not everyone has it easy, our jobs differ from one another, we all have our own hardships in our workplace. We all work in different fields, we are not aware of the hardships faced by an officer, a lawyer, a teacher, a business owner, a sales person, a content writer, a construction worker, a cleaner, and vice versa… except our own, hence, making it easier to judge others just by the outward job description.
An Officer, faces high stress, long hours, decision making process, and accountability.
A Lawyer, faces long hours of study and court appearances, high stakes in cases, and dealing with complex legal issues.
A Teacher, managing classroom dynamics, meeting diverse student needs, grading, and dealing with curriculum changes and parental expectations.
A Business owner, faces early morning shifts, physical labour, meeting customer demands, and maintaining quality.
A Salesperson, meeting sales targets, dealing with rejection, building and maintaining customer relationships.
A Content writer, meeting deadlines, researching topics, creating engaging content, and adapting different styles.
A Construction worker, faces physical labour, working in challenging weather conditions, safety, risk, and meeting project deadlines.
A Cleaner, faces physical labour, working in various environments, dealing with dirt and hazardous materials, and maintaining cleanliness standards.
Each profession comes with its unique set of challenges, whether physical, emotional, or mental and also with its own set of rules and protocols to follow.
As we navigate the complexities of law enforcement, let us strive for empathy and understanding. Instead of consistently nitpicking the police department, perhaps we should try to understand the challenges they too face and try to appreciate their efforts and recognize that their job isn’t always rainbows and roses, instead of throwing stones. By working together, we can build trust and create a safer community. Rather than focusing on the 1 wrongdoing, let’s recognize the 99 right actions. Together, we can foster a more supportive environment for those who serve to protect us.
*Not everyone will agree with this article. It may not align with every reader’s perspective, but it aims to provide an honest look at some ground realities. If it causes offense, I must stress that it is not intended to be inflammatory or hurtful.
