Tough Times

I haven't posted since my probation ended, and honestly I don't know why, I guess I just didn't have much to say, but after three years on the job a lot has changed. My love for the job remains but all the bullshit that goes along with it is starting to get to me.
We are currently in labour negotiations with the Quebec government, and this has cause a great deal of stress for me. Not because I am heavily involved in the union (I don't even know what the negotiations are about) but because every time they battle with the government I am reminded of the political bullshit that goes along with this job.
Recently three news stories have surfaced about incompetent ambulance drivers at Urgences Sante providing an unacceptable level of care to three patients, two died and one almost died. This has made me realize that my views and priorities are not the same as the majority of "Paramedics" in this province. I have been ashamed to put on the uniform and be associated with some of these people
When I read these stories on the news my initial thoughts were, "Thank God someone finally said something, some people have no business being on the road", and "This is completley unacceptable, these ambulance drivers don't deserve to wear the uniform" After reading several posts on facebook I have come to the conclusion that there aren't many of my co-workers" who share the same sentiment. They are "outraged" and furious that the media and Quebecor are "attacking" the paramedic profession to hinder the negotiations, and destroy the publics perception of our job. I have heard several things such as, " They are conducting a witch hunt against paramedics" and "They would never talk about firefighters that way, and their union would never let this happen" They are defending the actions of these asshole Ambulance drivers saying that the news didn't even have the autopsy and can't establish that the death was caused by lack of care on the part of the "Paramedics". They are more upset by the fact that it appeared on the news than by the fact that these types of interventions happened at all.
While yes it's true that I don't know all the details of these calls, or who the teams were, I do know for a fact that there are people on the road who are rude, apathetic, unprofessional and incompetent. Even though the majority of people I see and work with are incredible, there are a few that have no business wearing the uniform. It's scarey to think that when people call 9-1-1 they have no control over who will respond to their emergency, that makes it our responsibility to keep up to date on the latest medical advancements, so we know when to apply our protocols and when no to.
The feeling among Quebec Paramedics is that now that these stories appeared on the news, the public sees us all as incompetent assholes who have no idea what they are doing. This is not at all a feeling I share, I am a good Paramedic, I know it and my patients know it, I don't need the media to tell people that I'm good or bad, because I tell them myself by the way I treat them and their family.
My message to my co-workers is, stop feeling victimized, you wanna change the public's oponnion of us, do something about it, go out there and give you're patients the best care you can. Stop defending the undefendable, Just think how to would be reacting if it was one of your family members these people responded to. And enough with the jealousy of firefighters, who cares if they are more respected than us, and get paid better, you chose to be a paramedic, be proud of the work you do, and know that you're a hero even if you don't get recognized for it as often.

"Our Patients have not chosen us, we have chosen them"