“Thanks cops: For nothing"

This was sent to me by my friend Insubordinate.  It is all over the internet and certainly worth repeating in this Holiday Season.

The Editor, 

This letter is directed to all the RCMP members in Richmond: Thanks for nothing! 

Thanks for all the times I returned to my home to find it just as I  had left it: Nothing happened.

Thanks for all the evening walks that my wife and I enjoyed in the park, nobody bothered us: Nothing happened.

Thanks for all the times that I and my family members returned from a drive safely because we were not involved in a crash: Nothing happened.

It has been a tough year for our RCMP members; they have had to endure a great deal of bad press. Some members have made mistakes and been taken to task, there have also been mistakes made by the RCMP administration at a level well above the local detachment.

I guess the RCMP hire from the same human race as the rest of us. It is easy for the media to find the one bad apple and spread that across the news. But what of the others?

The hundreds of Mounties here in Richmond driving around, doing their jobs protecting you and me.

This year, while I open presents with my family, a Mountie will have to call his family on the phone. They may be as far away as Newfoundland, but that will be his or her Christmas.

This year, while I overindulge in a turkey dinner, a Mountie will be grabbing a Double Double and trying to warm up after standing in the rain for hours to keep drunks off the road, so that we will be safe.

This year, while I am reminiscing with my family about Christmases past, our Mounties will be trying to calm a domestic dispute where both parties are a bit too drunk. They will swear at our Mountie and name call; they may even spit and hit. What a Christmas to remember!

While we watch our favourite Christmas tale on our big screen TV, our Mounties will be notifying people of the loss of a loved one, crawling around on a wet road investigating a fatal crash and a huge  number of other tasks that we would not do in a nightmare.

One more thing: After all the gifts and the food and the friends and the holiday fun is done, I know that I will have the pleasure of tucking my daughter into her bed.

Our Mounties do not know if they will be coming home to their family, too many do not. 

This Christmas, I have a lot to be thankful for and I will likely be well remembered by Santa.

Richmond Mounties remember this: The gift for which I will be most grateful is: Nothing. Thanks again for that! “.