Never Give Up: Elected officials can be replaced. The majority of Americans support cops

There’s never been a more perilous time to be a law enforcement officer, and yet across our great nation, the men and women of law enforcement continue to show up, answer calls for assistance and do the right thing. Doing the right thing seems to be, to some extent, a bygone theme for most of society but not for law enforcement. It can’t be! Often called the thin blue line, the men and women of law enforcement are the protectors of those simply attempting to live out their lives in peace. Too many people these days seem to take a poll or check the direction of the wind before making a decision that involves right and wrong, and so many decisions are based on politics, trial by media, mob rule and a quick rush to judgment. How I miss the days when people just did what was right without first pondering what it would cost them.

Isn’t law and order nothing more than doing the right thing, and requiring bad actors to do the right thing, or suffer the consequences for their unruly actions? As we see some cities making political decisions as to how to deploy law enforcement assets rather than just maintaining law and order, I feel for law enforcement officers but I’m grateful that we live in a country where politicians can be replaced. We know this political grandstanding is taking a toll on the psyche of rank and file law enforcement officers, but what do you do if you are instructed to do something that you know isn’t lawful? You do the right thing knowing that you stand for something bigger than self… bigger than one single situation! You stand by the principles you have decided are worth more than yourself.

I truly believe one thing that sets law enforcement officers aside from the rest of society is their decision that some things cannot be negotiable, and the safety of others is worth putting their life on the line. Officers make this decision every time they put on their ballistic vest, strap on their Sam Brown belt and go to work. It may seem silly, but I believe the majority of today’s society decides what they believe in based on their own individual needs without giving thought to society as a whole. We must each decide ahead of time what our principles are, or someone else will decide for us. When it is time to act, you don’t have time to ponder what’s right and what’s wrong. You fall back on your training, not just as an officer but all the way back to who you are as a person of integrity and what made you want to be an officer.

The rules that govern our society are, at their core, nothing more than doing the right thing, and at times you have to place your trust in the fact that sticking to your principles is worth whatever it costs you. I know a little about this because in 2011 I was carrying a federal badge and working in a high-profile position, but my principles would cost me my career, professional reputation, financial well-being, and make me what I am today, a national security threat whistleblower. I never wanted to be a whistleblower. I just wanted to do the right thing. I wanted to protect my country. I wanted my children to be proud of me, and I wanted to provide for my family. Making the decision that made me a whistleblower was easy and almost instantaneous because I had decided ahead of time what my principles were, but the ramifications were swift and harsh. Had I given up and buckled to the immense pressure, I would have compromised my integrity, and that is the only thing in this life that no one can take from you. You must lay it down, stand on your principles and take the heat and NEVER GIVE UP. I had faith that the laws that our society is based upon would back me up, and they did. Justice is not always swift, but it is sure. If you never give up and stick to your principles, I am a believer that you can’t lose. I won’t insult your intelligence by telling you it won’t be painful and there won’t be bad days, but good does win!

So, in this day and age, where doing the right thing doesn’t seem to come naturally for many, be that light on the hill. Be that example that our society desperately needs right now. Do the right thing and know that the laws supported by our society are there to back you up for being that thin blue line. And always remember these things: Elected officials can be replaced, and the loudest voices are not the majority. They are just the loudest! You are supported even when you don’t feel it. Just stay true to who you are and stand strong in your faith and convictions. You are appreciated more than you know! Hold that thin blue line! Our country needs you more now than ever!

Blake Percival worked as a police officer in Alabama and West Virginia before becoming Director of US Investigations Services. Blake became a whistleblower in July 2011 when he exposed that USIS was billing the U.S. Government for roughly around 665,000 background investigations that allegedly had not been properly reviewed. Among those clearances were NSA leaker Edward Snowden and Aaron Alexis, who shot and killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard. He has written a book, “Holding on to Integrity and Paying the Price – A Whistleblower’s Story” and is considered a leading authority on the vetting process and investigations.