“The only color that matters is blue” (police adage)

‘The only color that matters is blue” is a saying about the police (who usually wear blue uniforms) that means different things to different people. To the police, “the only color that matters is blue” means that the police stick together, regardless of the racial component of the force. To those in the public who dislike the police, “the only color that matters is blue” shows police arrogance against the public.
 
“The only color that matters is blue” was the headline of a 2009 letter to the Daily News (New York, NY). “I have a lot of friends that are nypd officers and they have a saying the only color that matters is BLUE” was cited on Twitter on December 31, 2014. A Dallas (TX) Morning News article in May 2015 began:
 
“There is an old saying among cops, one I’ve always been fond of because it conveys a rather noble esprit de corps: ‘The only color that matters is blue.’”
     
 
Daily News (New York, NY)
Voice of the People for Jan. 5, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009, 5:15 PM
The only color that matters is blue
Corona: To Voicer M. Griffin: Shame on you for making such ignorant comments in regard to the two police officer trials. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were one of the the jurors. Before these two of New York’s Finest were murdered, throughout their careers they protected and served the public, at times even idiots like you. It’s not about white, black or brown; the uniform is blue and these men wore it proudly and performed their job to the best of their ability. Next time you need help, do not dial 911, because the brothers and sisters in blue of police officers you are bashing will be responding, and you are not even worth it.
Martha Barrera
   
Law and Order Teacher
Friday, July 24, 2009
SGT. CROWLEY, THE RACIST
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COMMENTS
Law and Order Teacher said…
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I hope you’re right and I’m not. But my cyncism is deeply ingrained by experience. For the most part cops protect each other. The saying I heard was “The only color that matters is blue.” That’s the way I felt. Thanks for the visit.

July 27, 2009 at 8:32 AM
   
CNN.com
In Katrina shooting death of unarmed man, cop testifies he felt life in danger
July 28th, 2011 01:04 PM ET
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COMMENTS
malasangre
and Faulcon is black too. the only color that matters is blue to an NOPD officer. Everybody covers so everyone has something on someone else. its how you get ahead in NO
August 2, 2011 at 5:49 pm
 
Facebook
Ronald Lee Irwin Junior shared Cindy Pattan’s video.
August 31, 2014 ·
The only color that matters is BLUE! The BAD BLUE MEN pursuit all other men. Regardless of gender, race or other persuasions.
 
Twitter
Wanda Lloyd
‏@wandalloyd
The police has been given the right kill. The only color that matters is BLUE!!!
8:39 PM - 3 Dec 2014
 
Twitter
Marilyn Rick
‏@Marilynandtwin
@OccupyWallStNYC Only color that matters is blue—those who r in blue line of defense consider victims #insignificantnobodies
1:14 PM - 15 Dec 2014
 
Twitter
LIVINGTHEDREAM
‏@edthagod
@William53604792 I have a lot of friends that are nypd officers and they have a saying the only color that matters is BLUE
1:51 PM - 31 Dec 2014
   
Mediaite 
CNN Contributor Clashes with Marc Lamont Hill: Don’t ‘Put a Race Card on Everything’!
by Evan McMurry | 11:16 am, May 4th, 2015
You’re not gonna believe this, but a CNN segment over race as a motivating factor in the death of Freddie Gray got heated. Blaze host Tara Setmayer squared off with CNN’s Marc Lamont Hill, arguing that Gray’s arrest was a singular case of police misconduct, not an incident in a wider problem of systemic police mistreatment of African-American suspects. “You don’t have to put a race card on everything,” she said.
 
Hill wasn’t having it. “Black people die every day at the hands of law enforcement,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what color the officer is. the only color that matters is blue…. State violence against citizens is a problem. State violence against poor people is a problem. It’s disproportionate. When you look at the number of black people that die at the hands of law enforcement in proportion to their demographic percentage, we’re overrepresented in police killing. That’s not a coincidence.”
 
Dallas (TX) Morning News
Ragland: Are Texas police departments hiding behind a ‘blue’ lie?
James Ragland .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Published: 12 May 2015 10:50 PM
Updated: 13 May 2015 09:10 AM
There is an old saying among cops, one I’ve always been fond of because it conveys a rather noble esprit de corps: “The only color that matters is blue.”
 
I’ve heard many a white officer say that — a few black and Latino ones, too.
 
It’s a unifying and empowering message for those who dare to stick a badge on their chest.
 
Here’s the problem: It’s not entirely true.