I’m 52 as well.
I’ve had experiences with cops that were complete assholes and also with guys that were and are normal, decent folks doing their job.
I have friends who are cops; retired detectives and beat cops that I shoot with. They’re American, conservative, patriot, gunnies completely on our side of things.
It’s like anything other group; there’s buttheads, and there’s normal decent folk.
My gripe is that the normal decent folk in that group don’t/won’t/can’t remove the buttheads from amongst them.
The last time I was called in for jury duty, we were asked what we thought about cops. I was shocked that so many, including little blue haired ladies, had little to no respect for LE these days. I should say I’m shocked that so many have become to angry that they expressed their true feelings outloud. This is a very conservative area. It’s no wonder what with the way they run rough shod over the very people they are supposed to protect and serve.
[My gripe is that the normal decent folk in that group don’t/won’t/can’t remove the buttheads from amongst them.]
I grew up in a family of LEOs and Firemen.
Starting back in the 70’s Affirmative Action forever altered those professions such that none of my siblings or cousins had any inclination to follow in their American parent’s footsteps.