In 1970, radio legend Paul Harvey wrote a newspaper column titled “What Are Policemen Made Of?” He also recorded the piece for his radio audience and called it “The Policeman.” Harvey’s father had been a cop, shot in the line of duty when the boy was only three years old. In reflecting on the events of this past weekend, and in honor of our brother journalist and our fallen NYPD heroes, we at the Forum thought it appropriate to share with you Harvey’s poignant words. It’s been nearly 45 years since he wrote them. As the old adage goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
“The Policeman”
A policeman is a composite of what all men are, mingling of a saint and sinner, dust and deity.
What that really means is that they are exceptional, they are unusual, they are not commonplace. Buried under the froth is the fact: and the fact is, less than one-half of one percent of policemen misfit the uniform. And that is a better average than you would find among clergymen!
What is a policeman? He, of all men, is at once the most needed and the most wanted. A strangely nameless creature who is “sir” to his face and “pig” or worse to his back.
He must be such a diplomat that he can settle differences between individuals so that each will think he won.
But…If the policeman is neat, he is conceited; If he’s careless, he’s a bum. If he’s pleasant, he’s a flirt; If he’s not, he’s a grouch.
He must make instant decisions which would require months for a lawyer.
But…if he hurries, he’s careless; If he’s deliberate, he’s lazy. He must be first to an accident, infallible with a diagnosis. He must be able to start breathing, stop bleeding, tie splints and above all, be sure the victim goes home without a limp.
The police officer must know every gun, draw on the run, and hit where it doesn’t hurt. He must be able to whip two men twice his size and half his age without damaging his uniform and without being “brutal.” If you hit him…he’s a coward. If he hits you…he’s a bully.
The policeman, from a single human hair, must be able to describe the crime, the weapon, the criminal and tell you where the criminal is hiding. But…if he catches the criminal, he’s lucky; if he doesn’t, he is a dunce.
He runs files and writes reports until his eyes ache, to build a case against some felon who will get “dealed out” by a shameless shamus.
The policeman must be a minister, a social worker, a diplomat, a tough guy and a gentleman.
And of course, he’ll have to be a genius…for he will have to feed a family on a policeman’s salary.
We are deeply saddened that this holiday season has been marked by such pain and strife, suffered particularly by the families and colleagues of NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, and our most sincere condolences go out to them during this unimaginably difficult time.
It does warm our hearts, though, that the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation and Governor Cuomo just announced that the mortgages of Liu and Ramos will be paid off. It’s encouraging to know that when New Yorkers make an effort and come together, we can do a lot of good. Frankly, here at the Forum, we want to believe in Christmas again. We want our kids to believe in the spirit of the season – in Santa Claus and magic and love of our fellow humankind. May the new year bring us all more reasons to believe.
