You’d be forgiven if you thought you’d heard actor and documentary filmmaker Dean Cain talk about this topic before — the unforgiving and damaging effects of cancel culture on our society. In fact, I’ve written about it a couple times: first, when he reached out to a fellow actor who thought he had to bow down to that culture mob juggernaut before it could cancel him. Then he stopped a troll in his tracks who tried to cancel Cain himself. And my colleague Alex Parker chronicled another instance when he’s broached the subject. (SEE: 2019’s “WATCH: Dean Cain Rips ‘Ridiculous,’ Boycottin’ Hollywood, Agrees with Me; & Maybe We’ll Get a Coke.“)

But in a new opinion piece published by the Washington Examiner, Cain speaks not as an actor or just another celebrity who thinks you’re lucky to be graced with their latest, brilliant opinion, but as a member of law enforcement. He happens to be a reserve police officer with the St. Anthony, Idaho, police department.

Cpl. Anderson supporting local area law enforcement as St. Anthony PD swears in Reserve Officer Dean Cain who played Superman in the TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. #BackTheBlue pic.twitter.com/AT9avH1vtE

— Idaho State Police (@ISPeasternIdaho) June 19, 2018

His bio also includes that he’s a sheriff’s deputy in Frederick County, Virginia. And just this year, he’s made sure to back up his words with action, spending time letting his fellow men in blue know he’s got their back — especially at a time when Black Lives Matter and other leftist groups call to “Defund the Police.” Back in July, he also spoke to the Daily Caller about how harmful the defunding efforts have been for both New York City and Minneapolis.

In the Examiner op-ed, entitled “Cancel the cancel culture and start listening,” Cain keys in on what makes canceling those with whom we might disagree the most damaging: (emphasis added)

People need to understand both sides. Don’t shut someone down for not agreeing with you, especially if you haven’t taken the time to get the full context of what the other person is saying. Let’s fix the problems by understanding them. Canceling a program, or defunding the police, will not solve anything.

We are fortunate enough to live in one of the freest societies in the world. We are afforded luxuries that other countries dream of. Every person has a right to voice his or her opinion, to be heard, and to protest peacefully. But cancel culture threatens the freedoms we celebrate.

Part of the issue he’s tackling in this article is the attempt by the Left to ‘cancel’ Fox News’ Tucker Carlson for talking about the Kenosha, Wisconsin, riots and Kyle Rittenhouse’s actions during them in August. Cain explains that “[w]hen law enforcement leaves a void, tragedies happen. I’ve heard far too many stories from my fellow officers.”

Later, he writes:

Carlson wasn’t praising vigilante justice, as some have incorrectly charged. He never glorified the actions of Rittenhouse. He asked why anyone was surprised this happened. That is a very important issue that we must address.

Instead, the Twitter mob took over, and half of that deeply polarized universe called for Carlson’s show to be canceled based on a bad-faith representation of his words.

And quite correctly, Cain asks what good that would do. Read the whole piece. And take Officer Cain’s message — to listen before you judge —  to heart.

Our country deserves at least that much.