How many deaths are going to occur from a pandemic? How many deaths are going to occur from riots over racism? How many police are going to lose a job because their authority was disbanded?

Four months ago, these questions would have been hard to comprehend. Unfortunately, this is reality. Flipping through the news, it becomes hard to watch for more than a few minutes when the words “defunding” or “abolishing” the police are said to be a good idea. What would happen to the United States, Pennsylvania or Carbon County, in particular, without the police?

Well, no one would show up to your house if someone was breaking in, traffic would be even worse on weekends in Jim Thorpe, and no one could file a report if a loved one went missing while hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

With this being said, you would think that there would be some kind of opposition to this growing movement. But there is not. Even though so few people, as of now, are in favor of abolishing or defunding the police, politicians are sitting back in fear of being called a racist for opposing. The people who are calling for the defunding do not believe in tolerance. In fact, they are hypocrites to call for tolerance as they declare people as racists for having the slightest opposition.

Leaders are supposed to be honest people with effective communication skills. And while I am not a politician, I am a leader who supports and appreciates the police here in our county and throughout the United States. I want to thank them for all they do.

Over the past few weeks, it seems all police officers have been labeled as bad people just because of a few “bad apples” in Minnesota. They deserve more respect now than ever before for putting themselves in harm’s way every day.

Thank you and God bless.

Connor Rodgers

Jim Thorpe