It's Not Just Cops

Why do we place such reverence on cops when they are killed in the line of duty? Believe it or not, being a law enforcement officer isn't the most dangerous occupation in the US. In fact, it isn't even in the top 10. It's all the way down there at number 18 on the list of deaths per 100,000. Do you know who has the most dangerous job? Fishers. More fishers are killed annually on the job than any other occupation. Does the news media memorialize fishers who are killed on the job? Nope. Coming in at fifth place on the list are garbage and recyclables collectors. I know what you're saying, "Police officers put on the uniform every day and they don't know if they're coming home at the end of their shift. They take an oath to do what others won't." Guess what? Garbage collectors get dressed every day, do a job most of us wouldn't want to do, and far greater numbers of them don't come home than police officers. At tenth place on the list are electrical power line workers. These people work hard to make sure you have the electricity to do everything you need to do, and they are far more likely to be killed on the job than law enforcement officers. In 15th place on the list are appliance repair technicians. These folks fix your broken freezers, ovens, microwaves, and such, and they are more likely to be killed on the job than law enforcement officers. Finally, coming in below law enforcement officers in 21st place, we have taxi drivers, who seem to get a lot of attention when they get killed on the job too. So why do we memorialize some workers who are killed on the job but not others? Why do we say some workers deal with "acceptable risk" on the job while other deaths are "terrible tragedies"? Why don't we treat occupational deaths equally?