If first responder night was just fire department and EMT itd be infinitely better, fun fact a bar in my city banned that type of event since the fire chief nearly got into a fight with the police chief.

"I stand for the flag. I kneel for the cross." --A phrase uttered only by people who have never once knelt in front of a cross, ever.

I've also noticed a direct correlation between people who wave around "Blue Lives Matter" flags and people who think police officers should essentially be paid poverty level wages. They're often the same group of people. And yes, the irony is completely lost on them.

Now I have to tell a story. And this actually happened. Eons ago, I got a wild hair and decided to run for my local city council. At that time, the city was pushing a small tax increase to fund raises for the police and fire departments, where the average salary was like $9/hr for a patrolman. It was not a great wage even then. I literally had people with "thin blue line" bumper stickers yelling at me because "I make $9 an hour. Why should they be paid better than me?" I quickly learned that there is a large -- or larger than I would have expected -- percentage of the population that supports the "police" as a concept as long as it means they get to feel morally superior. When it comes to actually supporting the people who are the police, they don't give two shits.

It's possible to think that police, firefighters, and other public servants in hazardous occupations should be compensated well AND be held to high moral and ethical standards. Mind blowing. I know.