[DFT] Fw: [ChivalryToday] Cops, Hope & Chivalry

[Seanan mac Tighearnain]

Cops, Hope and Chivalry
By Scott Farrell
©2003 Shining Armor Enterprises
www.ChivalryToday.com

Law enforcement officers are frequently referred to as "the knights of
the modern world." It's a logical comparison. Like knights, police
officers carry both a weapon (their duty sidearm) and a shield (their
badge), and even wear armor (Kevlar vests).

But more importantly, police officers are charged with many of the same
duties and responsibilities as the knights of old: protecting those in
need, upholding the law and keeping the peace. These similarities
between police officers and knights bring to mind the significance of
the Seven Knightly Virtues in the modern world.

Obviously, police officers are examples of courage. Every day they
deliberately expose themselves to hazards in order to aid others who
are in danger, and they confront angry and violent individuals in order
to defuse explosive situations.

Likewise, police officers demonstrate justice. Through both training
and experience, an officer knows when to uphold the law firmly, and
when to extend mercy to someone whose violations are harmless and
unintentional. Police officers also recognize that their own dedication
to living within the law strengthens the respect and authority they
have when enforcing those laws upon others.

But along with knightly attitudes like duty, courage, justice and
mercy, there's another, less obvious aspect to police work that
coincides with the Code of Chivalry: hope.

What does being a cop have to do with the Knightly Virtue of hope?
Every day a police officer knows he or she may witness the very worst
humanity has to offer - cruelty, deceit, rage, selfishness, egotism and
negligence. On the job, a police officer may be cursed at, spit at or
shot at, possibly all in the course of a given day.

Yet, by and large, police do not react to such encounters with
bitterness or callousness. Most officers are cheerful, cooperative and
optimistic. They are the people who can be counted on to volunteer to
help their neighbors or their community; they are the ones who can be
trusted with valuable property and sensitive information; they are the
people who will share just about anything they have with someone else
in need.

Police officers routinely see human behavior that is ugly and
discouraging, yet they carry on with the assumption that there is good
in everyone - and that is knightly hope at its highest level.

There is a lesson to be learned for all of us. How many times do we
come home from a hard day at work grumbling about being unappreciated
or undervalued? How often do we allow residual self-pity or annoyance
to linger after some minor disagreement? In such moments, perhaps we
can follow the chivalrous example set by police officers - the knights
of the modern world - by remembering that obstacles, setbacks, insults
and abuse can only cloud our sunny outlook if we allow them to.

The Code of Chivalry lives on in the courage, duty, justice and hope of
today's police officers. Those men and women who wear the shield and
uphold the law demonstrate to everybody that a knight in shining armor
should always walk away from a battle with a smile.

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The response to last week's request to "share your knightly motto" has
been tremendous. We give our thanks to everyone who composed and
submitted a motto to Chivalry Today. A new page with selected mottos is
currently under construction, and will be available soon. If you
haven't had a chance to send in your knightly motto, you still can by
e-mailing: Mottos at ChivalryToday.com - we will continue to add new
submissions even after the motto page is open for business.

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Readers are permitted and encouraged to share this article with police
officers or anyone who inspires others with their cheerfulness,
optimism, hope and chivalry. Please include all copyright statements
and attributions when sharing Chivalry Today articles. Copyright 2003
Scott Farrell and Shining Armor Enterprises. Visit our website at
www.ChivalryToday.com .