Appreciating those who protect and serve

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, September 22, 2015

There are many men and women whose protect and serve the community.
Many people support officers, firefighters and EMTs.
Here in Pearl River County, just about every law-abiding citizen has shown immense support for our men and women in the emergency response field.
Saturday the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department posted a picture on Facebook of a note left on a deputy’s car, which read “Thanks for all you do.”
It’s pleasing to see our emergency responders have the support of the community.
But at times we may overlook others in our community who perform another important task.
I’m talking about those who work in the medical field.
I know a few nurses, all of whom are hard working individuals who put in long hours and deal with some less-than-ideal working conditions, mostly brought about by unruly patients and their families.
Recently members of a well-known morning show mocked Miss Colorado’s speech about being a nurse.
Naturally what followed was a series of pulled ads, and negative press against the morning show.
Was such a response warranted?
In a way yes, and in a way no.
They certainly should have been informed of what nurses really do. It might seem like an easy job, but if you’ve ever had to hoist the weight of a human being onto a gurney, or deal with disgruntled or sexual comments from a less-than-personable patient, you may see their job in a whole new light.
Were the comments made by the hosts of The View out of line? Sure, but they crossed the line of ignorance more than anything else.
There’s only one way to enlighten them; have them walk in a nurse’s shoes for a day. Then that stethoscope won’t seem so out of place around a nurse’s neck.

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