Chicago’s cops and several other Police Departments across the U.S including, many other unionized employees of municipalities, are catching hell over political mandates demanding to know their status on Covid-19 vaccinations. The head of Chicago’s Police Union the Fraternal Order of Police has instructed his officers to refuse to comply with the City’s order to report whether they are vaccinated or not. The issues are not really complicated and contrary to what the public has been led to believe the main issue is any mandate given by the City to a Union regardless of its so-called importance must be negotiated by both sides before any compliance is reached.

Not surprisingly the Police Union was forced into court by the City and the issues on both sides are a daily headline. So far the court judge has ruled that the head of Chicago’s Police Union must silence himself and discontinue issuing orders to his Union on Non-Compliance. Of course, the judge issuing the order was later discovered to be a past law partner of the Mayor of Chicago and that they have worked together. First amendment be damned it’s Cook County folks. Politics rule.

Needless to say, Chicago’s cops are being bashed and battered on a daily basis and the City has begun calling its cops down to headquarters, and those who refuse to reveal their vaccination status are stripped of their stars and weapons and put on a NO-PAY status. Every editorial and several Chicago reporters have been dealing devastating criticisms of the cops who refuse the City’s mandate. One thing I will say about most cops is they are like skeletons in that it’s very difficult to get under their skin, to say they have thick skin or skin like Chain Mail would be appropriate. Without it, one could not survive the vitriol dealt them on a daily basis.

The old Sticks and Stones saying fits rather nicely. I remember a reporter once asked me what was the worst thing anybody ever said to you while working as a cop, I actually had to think about it there were so many, but the winner was one of Chicago most prominent Gang leaders who once yelled to me in a courtroom that when he got out of prison he would “RIP MY HEAD OFF AND SHIT DOWN MY NECK.” Last I checked he was still in Crow Bar hotel in Colorado and I still have my head on my shoulders.

The criticisms coming at Chicago’s cops even today over the Covid disclosures ARE OP-EDS TO THE EDITOR SAYING COPS ARE GUILTY OF SERVING AND INFECTING — and not caring about the lives of others, cops are uncaring bullies. Imagine a profession that has lost over 300 cops to “Line of Duty” deaths so far this year, and over 1,000 wounded by gunfire and thousands more beaten and assaulted being accused of not caring. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic, over 700 Cops in the U.S have died of the Covid virus. While most of the country was at home protecting themselves cops were answering their calls and showing up to work and dying as those numbers indicate. What if those Cops decided to turn the tables and say WELL IF YOU WANT POLICE SERVICE TELL US WHETHER YOU ARE VACCINATED OR NOT IF YOU DON’T WE ARE GONE- OUR LIVES MATTER ALSO, NO SERVICE FOR YOU-THAT DID NOT HAPPEN AND OVER 700 ARE ALREADY DEAD.

I’m not trying to stop criticism, it’s healthy when it’s warranted but until one walks in someone else shoes it is easy to become a fierce critic and God knows cops are not immune from constant judgment. A good thing to keep in mind when judging and assessing others especially first responders who in most cases these days have become FIRST OBSERVERS–I SLEPT AND DREAMED THAT LIFE WAS BEAUTY-I WOKE AND FOUND THAT LIFE WAS DUTY- —— STAY SAFE-