As a child, I had a desire to be a policeman. I really liked the idea of putting the bad guys in jail. Naturally, in my youth, I was very pretty idealistic. You know, I figured I’d always catch the bad guy and he’d be soon incarcerated.

Unfortunately, things don’t always happen that way. I wish they did. In general, most of the TV shows try to make things a little realistic, but I can’t have but think they really bend things for the sake of drama.

Perhaps, one of the most common situations in the shows is the hostage situations. I don’t know exactly what the actual procedures are but I can’t believe that a police officer should ever surrender his weapon to save a hostage. If he does, the bad guy suddenly has two hostages.

Moreover, the one holding the hostage is foolish to kill the hostage. If and when he does, he immediately looses any advantage he might have. Even more, the officer is completely justified in shooting the bad guy.

The fact is, I’d likely never be a good policeman. I’d shoot the hostage taker the first time I had a clear shot. I don’t guess that’s procedure either. However, I’d do it for three reasons. First, I think I just might stand a chance of saving the hostage. Second, the bad guy would never take another hostage. Third, if word got around that the department quickly killed hostage takers, there would be far fewer hostage takers.

I have never discussed this with an official and I would guess none would discuss with me. Nonetheless, I suspect my ideas would not be readily accepted. As I sliced to before, I would not be considered a good policeman. If I confronted a kidnapper and he was hiding his captive, I would use whatever means to get the guy to tell me.

Naturally, it would only work once and I’d be unemployed. They might even toss me in jail for a day or two. But the way I look at it, I will have quite possibly saved a life. And that kidnapper, the one that did the kidnapping, he would continue to carry around and a few permanent injuries to remember me by, though he’d likely never be convicted. And, maybe some other would be kidnapper just might reconsider.

So, aren’t you glad I never became a policeman, me and people like me. Especially if you are one of the bad guys I am referring to.