Haters

Just watched my first episode of The Wire and I thinks me and the wife are hooked (the only thing my wife likes better than a cop drama is someone walking into a wall. One day someone will produce a hybrid of Law and Order and The Three Stooges and she finally have reached her personal nirvana). And, maybe we were just getting too caught up in the action of it all, but we found ourselves both thinking, "Damn, cops have a hard job."

We continued this thought to, "People who criticize cops are really lame." And then this led to in my head, "Do people really still hate cops?" I remember when a PDX officer was shot, his funeral was attended by like half the town. Post-anti-authority-HS, do people still begrduge the man?

I'm leaning towards no. And, I feel like it's a similar debate to people disrespecting teachers. I always heard that people looked down on teachers, but since being one, all I've felt from people is genuine appreciation. I think people really do like cops and teachers, and we just get so mad at the few who don't that we exaggerate their numbers. Perhaps I'm just being naive and when I leave the room people rip on my salary potential and tell dead cop jokes, but I don't think so. What do others think?