Media Wars
I don’t really need—or want—to go into too many of the details of this particular controversy, but it involves complaints by the president of the Nassau Police Benevolent Association of bias in the media. The so-called un-elected shadow government? That’s a reference to the media. The undue influence? Ditto. I’m not quite sure why the Police Benevolent Association President has his undies in a bunch about the media’s so-called shadow government. After all, the cops have the power to give us all tickets for jaywalking, driving one mile an hour over the speed limit, and playing car stereos too loud. If there’s a shadow government going on round Nassau County, it’s the one run by the guys with the (radar) guns. You can’t drive down the LI Expressway in a hell of a hurry late for work without looking over your shoulder for the flashing lights. God help you if your license is a day overdue or you have a busted taillight and your car just happens to match the description of some crackhead wanted for felony spray-painting. That’s not to say that I hate cops. Hell, I nearly became one myself, but I discovered I am too addicted to writing to get off the couch and go to the Police Academy. Oh, I’m imminently QUALIFIED to be a cop, with more than 13 years in the military behind me. So let’s stop that frothing at the mouth about me being a longhaired hippie pot smoking cop hater. And while we’re at it, let’s not confuse the ordinary working stiffs in uniform with the uber-paranoid nutjobs who sanction or agree with calling some of the LI media an un-elected shadow government. Most honest cops are decent people who just want to earn a living and come home in one piece. The paranoid ones, on the other hand, are the ones that keep me up at night. The paranoid cops are the ones that will pull me over after having pegged me as the guy who wrote this screed. They are the ones who will DEFINITELY give me a ticket, and find five more things to add to it, because I wrote something slightly critical of some of them. THESE are the ones that give the decent guys in uniform the bad rep, kids. They are the ones who are getting the critical write-ups, the bad press, and all the rest. Now, for the record, I don’t think we can pay our HONEST public servants enough. Any cop, firefighter, sanitation worker or other civil servant worth a damn deserves the pay and benefits. Anybody who questions how much a guy in a bulletproof vest or a fire helmet makes is crackers. One day, you’ll need ‘em, pal. And that, my friends, is the real point of this rambling screed. If you have a problem with criticism of the pay your crews are getting, you need to trot out some FACTS instead of a bunch of crapola about shadow governments. Get your damn head screwed on straight and remind people about the guns pointed at the cops on a daily basis, about the late nights, the emotional trauma of dealing with Long Island’s most boorish and crude denizens. The credibility of the entire LI PD is now in the hands of televised fruitbats dribbling about shadow governments and whining about media bias. Too bad, as a simple explanation about the training, credentialing, and dangers connected with being a police officer might be helpful in explaining why higher salaries and more benefits for our public servants are not only necessary, but also richly deserved. Lest we forget, folks, the police and fire crews are first responders in situations like terrorist attacks, natural disasters and accidents. These people are never truly “off-duty”. A heart attack, a fire, a robbery, you name it, and these people are there. Every department has its problems, but the inherent nature of the job requires a LOT extra. Isn’t the extra pay worth it? THAT should be the content of commercials regarding the cops airing on Nassau County cable stations. So let’s stop all this childish sniping at the media and get down to a bit of reality, shall we? In the meantime, I’ll be driving the speed limit, making sure my taillights aren’t busted, and keep all my paperwork up to date, as I’m sure I’ve irritated one of the bad apples here. Next time I get pulled over, I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a decent cop, but with my luck, it will wind up being the head of the Nassau PBA on a special mission to find malcontents or “un-elected” writers. Joe Wallace E-mail This Page | Talk About It | Return to My Column
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If you watch cable television in 
