“If they wanted a legitimate change they would be talking to government officials, they’d be making petitions, there would be actual change.”

Those are the words of a young nursing student at St. Louis University who was so moved at the heroism of the police force working the Ferguson protests and riots, that she showed up to literally stand in front of them, between them and the protesters, to show her support and gratitude for their service to the community.

The video (Click this link) shows Lexi Kozhevsky speaking her mind regarding the circus that is Ferguson.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch:On Monday night, as unrest continued on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Lexi Kozhedsky stood on the sidewalk, a large group of police behind her.

“If anything comes their way, I would rather it hit me than them, because they’ve already been through a lot and I don’t think they deserve that,” said Kozhedsky, 19, of University City.

She was interviewed on video by Post-Dispatch photographer David Carson. He said Kozhedsky seemed out of place.

A young white woman standing alone. Not holding a sign. Not yelling. Just wearing a Fall Out Boy T-shirt and a backwards ball cap

“They have a legitimate reason to protest,” she stressed. “There’s definitely discrimination in America. There’s definitely racism.”

But, she said, “this one case out of many is not the one that should be glorified.”

Kozhedsky said she supports peaceful protests and blames the violence on outsiders who come for the publicity and not to affect change.

Her strong upbringing included “wanting to help people, and cops are the ones who need help at this point,” she said.

She said her pro-police stance would bring “some hate” but Kozhedsky hopes that people realize not all cops are bad.

“Not all of them are good, but not all regular people are good either. There’s a rotten egg in every bunch of people.”

Imagine, she said, if there were no police.

“I don’t even know what would happen to this country.”

On Tuesday, Kozhedsky was reluctant to talk more, as the video of her shielding police began to spread across the Internet.

“I don’t think I want to be in the spotlight any more.”

She knew she would be at the receiving end of hate: