So average law abiding citizens also at risk to be mugged, attacked, or worse, who are equally entitled to the right of self preservation. Post like this just reek of an ‘us verse them’ mentality.
Police run the same risk when they are out of uniform. Everyone should be entitled to the right of self preservation. But if you cannot see the added danger the police and their family face because the police chose to perform a task of keeping the community safe, there's nothing I can say to open your eyes. Who asked who "they" were. I gave you an answer. "They" are the ones who wrestle with an armed bad guy and put him in jail so you are not the next random victim. When the bad guy makes bond, do you think he's going to track down that random victim? No. But he will sure keep his eyes open for the cop who locked him up. And if he sees that cop out with his family, he'll also look for an opportunity to get even. It would be great if this happened with just one guy, but it doesn't. It happens over and over and over. Your failure to recognize there exists a greater threat to off duty police than a random law abiding citizen is what creates the "us verse them" mentality, not my post.