A Serious Steve Irwin Post

Since LMC complained that I never have any posts of substance, I figured I'd slow things down a little. (For the record, I have done pretty damned well for myself posting pics of fabulous babes and ranting about idiots. I meant this ain't the McLaughlin Group - or The Mox Argon Group - here, but I digress.) Many people around the globe have been pontificating about the demise of Steve "The Crocodile Hunter" Irwin, and how he was pretty much responsible for his own death. "He knew the risks." "He took chances." "He brought it upon himself." All of this may be true, but I was thinking: is it true for other professions as well?

I am a Philadelphia Police Detective. As such, I accept certain risks that come with the job. As a police officer, when I hear gunshots, I am supposed to run towards the gunfire, where most sane people run away from it. I also know that every time I go to work, I may never come home. I accept it. My wife (grudgingly) accepts it. Life goes on.

To be honest, I never think about such things, because:

1. I'm gonna live forever.

2. I'm usually very careful.

3. Detectives almost never get shot.

My father was a Philly firefighter for 41 years. When I was in grade school, he sat my brother and I down and explained the risks of his job. He told us that if he ever died in the line of duty, we should know that he died doing what he loved to do. As a ten-year old, that really creeped me out, because I thought dads lived forever, but his talk really sunk in.

I expect I will tell the same thing to my sons, and, by extension, all of you. If I die in the line of duty, don't dare shed one tear. I signed up willingly. I know the risks. I am doing something that I love, which in this day and age is a rare thing. If I get killed out there protecting the (sometimes ungrateful) citizens of Philadelphia, I won't have one regret. I like to think that I have done some pretty good things for some pretty good people in the last twelve years.

Steve Irwin probably thought the same way. He was doing what he loved to do, and damn the risks. He would probably much rather people save their tears and celebrate his life, instead of blubbering over his demise.

That's just my $0.02.