[Jeff Higgins]

Michael, I'm not trying to dismiss the level of stress you guys are faced with, or the fact that it is of a whole different caliber that I will never know. I cannot amply express how much I appreciate what you guys do for us, and the risks you take in doing so. I'll never minimize that, and I apologize that it sounded like I was.

I was trying - probably all too clumsily - to point out that it is used as an excuse for some rather inexcusable behavior both on the job and at home, when that behavior probably originates elsewhere. In other words, I believe guys prone to bullying in general and especially those prone to beating their wives are that way for reasons other than the stress involved in their work.

Myself, I'm left to wonder why the rest of you do not effectively deal with these blights on your profession. Police seem to be unusually protective, and protected, when it comes to clear problems with discipline and attitude within the ranks. I don't think I can overstate just what the combination of bullying cops and the protection they enjoy has done to your public image. For example, I work in what has to be one of the penultimate uber-geek environments - that of the dual pocket protector, horn rimmed glasses (with the piece of tape in the middle), white shirted, high water pants aerospace engineer. And guess what? One would be very, very hard pressed to find one who has any respect whatsoever for cops. Amazing, in light of the fact that most have never met one, except for maybe getting a traffic ticket for holding up traffic. Why on earth would they harbor such an attitude?

I'm sure it's the all-too-well publicized cases of police brutality, unjust police shootings, and what appears to be out and out murder that time and time again is found, by the now infamous internal review boards, to be "justified". Hell, this has become so endemic in our society that even stand up comedians have been having a field day with it for years. Something has to change, or you will never regain the public's respect. That would be a shame.