COPS WANT TRUMP REELECTED

Florida’s largest police union: Re-elect President Donald Trump to keep America safe 

 

By John Kazanjian

 

South Florida Sun Sentinel

July 31, 2020

 

In less than 100 days, at a time when our nation is at critical crossroads, citizens from all across America will make their choice to elect the next President of the United States.

This upcoming election for president isn’t simply about electing a Democrat or a Republican, it’s about a fundamental choice about the kind of society we choose to live in and the future we desire for our families for generations to come. Every man, woman, and child in America has a fundamental right to live in communities that are safe and where men and women in law enforcement are respected for the personal sacrifices they make each and every day to keep the public safe. But sadly, you don’t have to look too far to see how quickly public safety all across this country has eroded because of the increasing attacks on the men and women in blue.

When I was growing up, becoming a police officer was a dream shared by many kids my age. Our families and neighbors had a personal relationship with our local police officers and our communities supported the police because they knew supporting the police meant supporting safe communities and safe communities increased the quality of life for everyone.  

Sadly, that special bond between the police and the public we serve today is being threatened by the most vitriolic, anti-law enforcement movement I have ever witnessed in my over thirty years as a police officer.

At the national level, there are politicians in Congress who want to pass unprecedented police reforms, while stripping us of our civil rights. Some want to defund the police. Some want to “demilitarize” the police. And some want to abolish the police all together. But none of these politicians have ever stepped in our shoes and walked the beat for a single day to understand how disastrous their reckless proposals would be on everyone. If we’re unable to maintain public safety with optimal resources and with the support of our elected representatives, then everyone’s safety is jeopardized.

Now more than ever, law enforcement officers, our families, and our communities desperately need our next president to support and defend our rights and to support and defend law and order in every part of America. We need a president who will not allow the vast majority of our dedicated police officers to be demonized based upon the heinous acts committed by a few bad apples. We don’t demonize all doctors, nurses, and teachers when some of them break the law, but somehow it has become acceptable in our society to demonize all police officers everywhere whenever a few of them dishonor the 99% of us.

In order to maintain our fundamental right to live in a society that is both free and safe, Americans need to elect the one candidate for president who is committed to making our country safe and secure.  For the 30,000 men and women in the Florida Police Benevolent Association, the choice for us could not be clearer. President Donald J. Trump has never once wavered from his support of law enforcement officers, especially as we are faced with these unprecedented challenges. President Trump’s commitment to preserving law and order in America is our country’s last great hope to live in the kind of society where our communities thrive and our families prosper.

The Florida PBA has not made an endorsement for President of the United States in eight years. But with the existential threats to the safety of our members, the future of our families, and the security of our communities, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. And neither can our fellow Americans. Let’s keep America safe, re-elect President Donald J. Trump.

John Kazanjian is president of the Florida Police Benevolent Association, representing 30,000 law enforcement officers across the State of Florida. He is also president of the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association