1. Comment on articles, not headlines. 

2. A mistake is mismatching your socks in the dark. A bad decision is calling your crazy ex instead of going for a run. A crime is a crime. 

3. If a suspect is old enough to vote, marry, enlist and enter into contract, the suspect is an adult. Calling them a teen or a boy doesn’t change that, nor the penalties to which they are subject upon conviction. 

4. If you say ‘I back the blue, but…’, you don’t. Double that if your ‘but’ concerns the cost of training, equipment or taking care of a wounded officer.   

5. If you attack another human being for criminal purposes, you have to give up your Really A Good Guy card. 

6. Mental illness does not render a suspect harmless. 

7. A bad childhood doesn’t excuse criminal behavior. Lots of people get abused and instead grow up to say “I won’t ever do that to my ______”.  Don’t devalue their hard work and good decisions. 

8. Poor ain’t no excuse for ugly. This is not a reference to appearances. 

9. Criminals know what they signed up for. They can choose another career field at any time. 

10. Law enforcement may be a calling, but good will doesn’t pay the bills, and neither does pretty scenery.