Opinion

8 Hollywood Celebrities Who Actually Back The Blue

   DailyWire.com
HOLLYWOOD, CA - OCTOBER 23: Actor Denzel Washington arrives at the premiere of Paramount Pictures' "Flight" held at the ArcLight Cinemas on October 23, 2012 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
Jason Merritt/Getty Images

Denzel Washington doesn’t care what his hip Hollywood peers have to say about police officers in the post-BLM era.

Months after stars like John Legend, Natalie Portman, Jane Fonda, Lizzo and Tessa Thompson backed the Defund the Police wave, the double Oscar winner shared a decidedly different viewpoint.

“I have the utmost respect for what they do, for what our soldiers do, [people] that sacrifice their lives. I just don’t care for people who put those kind of people down. If it weren’t for them, we would not have the freedom to complain about what they do,” he said.

Washington is one of Hollywood’s least political stars, preferring to let his work speak for him. Yet his support for the police is sadly political in these turbulent times.

But he’s not alone.

The following stars also Back the Blue, sharing respect and more for law enforcement officials.

They’re the opposite of far-left personalities like Michael Moore, who once Tweeted: 

Next demand: Disarm the police. We have a 1/4 billion 2nd amendment guns in our homes 4 protection. We’ll survive til the right cops r hired

Unlike Moore, these celebrities understand the heroism displayed by the vast majority of law enforcement professionals.

George Strait

The country superstar channeled his appreciation for police officers into lyrics two years ago. 

Strait’s “The Weight of the Badge,” from his “Honky Tonk Time Machine” album, directly addressed what cops face on a daily basis.

“He’s seen it all, in his 15 years/Watching our backs, facing our fears,” goes the song, co-written by Strait. The singer recalls holding an officer’s badge in his hands, the weight of which had a profound impact on him.

“And I just got to thinking about that because it really wasn’t that heavy until you put it on it and then it means, it really gets heavy,” Strait said. “So, that was one of those things I thought was a real important message especially these days and times.”

Danny Trejo

The man known to grindhouse fans as “Machete” got to know police officers the wrong way in his youth. The California native spent part of the 1960s in the clink on a variety of charges, including armed robbery.

He later burnished his tough guy bona fides as a boxer in San Quentin State Prison. He eventually straightened out his life and, later, became a hard-working movie star.

These days, Trejo is speaking up for law enforcement at a time when he’d increase his celebrity cache by doing just the opposite.

Last year he spoke out on behalf of LA Sheriff’s Deputy Claudia Apolinar, one of the aforementioned officers shot, ambush style, in a Compton confrontation in September. 

The wounded Apolinar applied a tourniquet to her partner following the shooting, saving his life in the process.

“She’s badass – she’s got bigger balls than anybody I know,” said the actor, who later provided the victims and their families with a hearty meal.

“People don’t understand, man. We’re all in this together.”

“It’s not like police (versus) Mexican (versus) African American… not any more. First of all, we’re fighting viruses now, we’re not fighting a human being. We gotta figure out how to weed out the bad.”

Gene Simmons

You couldn’t blame the KISS frontman for being a bit sore about the cops. 

In 2015 police raided his home in search of child pornography even though neither he nor his family were suspects at the time. The cops found nothing to connect the veteran bassist with illegal downloads, but Simmons didn’t hold a grudge.

In fact, earlier this year he praised Massachusetts Police Officer Matthew Lima for bending the rules just enough to help two people in need.

Lima responded to a shoplifting call a few days before Christmas, only to find two women stealing food to feed their families. The officer gave them a trespassing notice along with gift cards to make their holiday a little bit brighter.

“My respect and admiration for this policeman, who went beyond the call of duty!!!” Simmons tweeted upon hearing the news.

It’s hardly a new tune for Simmons. The rocker sang the praises of both U.S. Military veterans and law enforcement in 2018 at the inaugural VetFest BeerBQue in Manhattan Beach.

“It’s a simple idea. We take a lot of things for granted. When you need first responders and cops and our military, that is not the time to appreciate. You should do that each and every day.”

Dean Cain

Few stars support the police, then and now, quite like TV’s Superman. The “God’s Not Dead” alum became a reserve police officer in Idaho in 2018, a decision he hoped would “bridge the gap that has started to exist here in the United States and elsewhere.”

He also uses his celebrity pulpit to praise police officers without reservation.  

“Police officers are real heroes, all the time. For someone who played a hero on TV to come and become one of these officers, and I would never call myself a hero, but to be alongside some of these real heroes is important,” Dean said.

Cain doesn’t deny the “bad seeds” within the law enforcement community but hopes his words and actions can “counter balance that.”

Erik Estrada

The “CHiPs” star took his signature role to heart.

His work as Officer Frank Poncherello on the long-running series didn’t translate to a big screen career like some TV icons. Still, Estrada has spent serious time working alongside real-life cops in between various Hollywood gigs.

The New York native worked as a reserve police officer in Muncie, Ind., in 2008. The following year, he became a full-time deputy sheriff in Bedford, Va.

Estrada’s next law enforcement gig came as a reserve officer with the St. Anthony Police Department in Idaho in 2016, with a focus on stopping online predators. Two years later, the actor helped raise funds for the National Law Enforcement Offices Memorial Fund.

David Zayas

It’s unlikely this versatile actor will be bad mouthing cops anytime soon.

He used to be one.

The “Oz” and “Dexter” alum walked the beat in the Big Apple for more than a decade. He started his Hollywood career with feet in both worlds before his acting opportunities overwhelmed him.

He credits his blue collar roots for shaping his law enforcement career.

“Just like the street teaches you to be a good cop,” he says, “theater teaches you everything about the craft of acting. It also gives you the confidence you need when you go for TV and movie auditions. It also showcases your talent.

Ricky Schroder

The “Silver Spoons” alum endured a pair of visits from Johnny Law in 2019, both stemming from domestic abuse allegations. 

That didn’t stop him from donating $11,111 to a pair of wounded L.A. County deputies last year as well as giving $25,000 to help find the person who ambushed the officers. The former’s significance? TMZ reported the curious number speaks to “new beginnings.”

Maybe Schroder’s TV work rubbed off on him. The veteran actor also co-starred on “NYPD Blue” for a pair of seasons as Det. Danny Sorenson.

Ted Nugent

The Motor City Madman takes his love for law enforcement very seriously.

The ageless rocker tried to lend his support to a New York-based “Back the Blue” rally last July, but local officials used existing pandemic rules to prevent him from making an appearance. 

It’s just one example of how he supports police officers and the sacrifices they make. That doesn’t mean he offers blanket support for all police tactics. He’s spoken out against “Stop and Frisk” measures he says violates the Fourth Amendment.

Nugent’s affection for the men and women who protect us may have gone too far, though.

He told CNN he’s been serving as a cop in Lake County, Mich. since 1982, even conducting raids alongside the DEA and ATF.

The Epoch Times investigated the claims, though, finding Nugent’s rhetoric less than truthful. It’s true Nugent serves as a reservist for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. There’s no record he’s joined any law enforcement raids, according to word from the ATF, DEA and the Texas Rangers.

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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