26: Let that number sink in for a moment.

That’s the number of police officers nationwide that have been shot and killed in the line of duty since the beginning of this year, according odmp.org.

According to a report published by NBC News in February, there was a total of 41 officers shot and killed in the line of duty in all of 2015. We’re not even halfway through 2016 and we’ve already almost matched that figure.

This is ridiculous and something has to be done.

Log on to social media and it’s almost a guarantee that you will see some sort of post bashing local law enforcement. It’s sickening.

Are there bad cops out there? Absolutely, but so what? A handful of professional athletes have violent criminal histories, but we understand that those cases don’t represent pro athletes as a whole.  In this case we understand that labelling an entire professional due to the negative actions of a few is stupid.  The same goes for police.

Take Fort Worth Police Officer Matthew Pearce for example: March 15th started out as a normal day for him as he went out on patrol to keep our streets safe. He got a call to conduct a traffic stop on a man who had several warrants out for his arrest.  The pursuit ended in a gun battle and now Officer Pearce is in a fight for his life.

How can we live in a world, where police officers are getting shot and killed every day, how are we supposed to feel safe? They still put on the badge every day and they still go out and protect our streets to keep citizens safe. Something has to be done and it’s going to have to come from the bottom.

People need to stop thinking they’re above the law. If you break the law by speeding, shoplifting, robbing someone or whatever, be an adult and face the music.

People that want to sit back and bash cops and say what horrible human beings they are because they used force on little Johnny because he resisted arrest when they caught him trying to rob a department store.

We’re so influenced by today’s society and the powerful influence the media and social media have on people’s opinions.

Yet people still feel the need to talk crap about police and say that they’re horrible people. People that do that, are a special kind of stupid.

Ever talked to a police officer? Just gone up and said hi to them and thank them for their service? You tell them that and there’s a good chance that they’ll sit there and talk to you. Police officers are human beings just like you and me.

As people, empathy isn’t one of our strong suits. Make it one. Put yourself in their shoes. We’re not perfect and neither are they. They’re just doing their job.

So next time you think that you’re above the law, just remember:

26 and counting. That’s the number of officers that will never be able to see their families again because some stupid punk decided to get cute and think that they’re above the law.