I was disappointed in Lawrence O'Donnell's Rewrite on Matt Damon and teachers

[searchingforlight]

I completely agree with the main topic; too much legislation, too much classroom busywork to teach. I believe the Republican Party has demonized teachers because of their strong Democratic support.

I do take issue with his conclusions and statements about the police. Teapartiers have used the high retirement pay given to police and fireman - public servants at the whim of the state for several years now and state after state is legislating reduction of compensation for police and firefighters.

I also take issue with his portrait of the police officer as an armed thug who accidentally or on purpose kill people. I do not deny that there have been instances of police brutality in the news but when one considers the volume of police involvement in this country on a daily basis the few instances of police brutality are very small in number. Police have few champions on the Republican side of the political scene.

My son is a police officer. His compensation has been "readjusted" due to budget cuts. His job is the same. He lays his life on the line everyday doing domestic violence calls and traffic stops. Most people are not aware that those calls are the most dangerous a cop can make. My son has a college degree, he has a young family, he raises a garden, is into sustainable living, he is kind to his neighbors. I have never known him to lie, even when young. He is reviled hundreds of times a day and he is never there fast enough when a citizen has a problem.

Mr O'Donnell, I hope you're intent was not to denigrate the police officers who serve because they believe in law and order and in their duty to protect the citizens of their cities, counties and states. I know you did them a disservice with your portrait of them.