by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Donald Trump recently mused that if he was at a school where a shooting was occurring, he would probably run into the building and confront the shooter. And while that statement from the 287-pound Trump undoubtedly reminded many Americans of something they spread on their gardens each spring, Trump tends to believe much of what he says. Donald Trump is a hero - in his own mind.
But in a world as diverse and dynamic as our own, true heroes do exist and occasionally reveal themselves. Here are two recent examples:
First, a young black man named James Shaw, Jr. (age 29) was having a meal at a Waffle House in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, this past April when a mostly nude young man entered the diner and began spraying customers with gunfire from an automatic weapon. When the shooter, who was clad only in a jacket, took a break from shooting to reload, Mr. Shaw rushed him and grabbed the hot barrel of the man's AR-15 and wrested it from him. The shooter, Travis Reinking, also 29-years-old, fled the scene and was captured by police the next day.
Four people were killed in the shooting, and four others wounded.
James Shaw, Jr. instantly achieved widespread notoriety for his heroic action. His alma mater, Tennessee State University, recognized him in a ceremony and reception, and the university established a scholarship in his name. For his part, Mr. Shaw set up a GoFundMe site with a goal of raising $15,000 - not for himself, but to benefit the shooting victims. The website quickly brought in more that $200,000.
James Shaw, Jr. was a hero both during and after the attack. Many public figures were effusive in praise of his bravery. But one important public official was somewhat reticent to offer congratulations. Donald John Trump had to be goaded by pundits and other politicians before he finally - 22 days after the incident - picked up the telephone to speak with Mr. Shaw and "commend (his) heroic actions and quick thinking last month."
Did I mention that James Shaw, Jr., is a black man?
Meanwhile in France . . .
A 22-year-old "illegal" immigrant from Mali, Mamoudou Gassama, also a black man, was walking along a Paris street two weeks ago enroute to watch a soccer game when he was suddenly confronted with blaring car horns and people pointing to the sky. Mr. Gassama looked upward where he saw, to his horror, a 4-year-old child dangling in the air as he desperately clung to a balcony railing - four stories up! Showing no concern for his personal safety, the young "illegal" alien scaled the exterior of the four-story build in less than thirty seconds, jumped from one balcony to another, and rescued the frightened child. Mr. Gassama said that he did not get scared until after the rescue was completed.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, who, like Trump, poses as being tough on immigration, nevertheless exhibited the political acumen and humanity to immediately recognize the heroics of the young man from Mali. He invited Mr. Gassama to a sit-down at Elysee Palace where he presented the youthful hero with a certificate and a gold medal - and a promise to fast track his application for citizenship. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, telephoned the man who Parisians are now calling "Spiderman" to commend his heroics and to offer him a job with the Paris fire brigade.
Two heroes and two very different responses from national leaders. One can't help but suspect that if the American hero, James Shaw, Jr., had been an "illegal," the ICE gestapo would have grabbed him before the sun set that day, and, if he had children, they would have been rounded up and placed in a cage somewhere in Texas.
But I digress.
We should all take comfort in knowing that there are heroes among us. James Shaw, Jr. and Mamoudou Gassama risked their lives to save strangers, and, with their selfless acts of bravery, these two young men have shown the human race its true potential.
We have the ability to live in harmony and to care for one another.
Citizen Journalist
Donald Trump recently mused that if he was at a school where a shooting was occurring, he would probably run into the building and confront the shooter. And while that statement from the 287-pound Trump undoubtedly reminded many Americans of something they spread on their gardens each spring, Trump tends to believe much of what he says. Donald Trump is a hero - in his own mind.
But in a world as diverse and dynamic as our own, true heroes do exist and occasionally reveal themselves. Here are two recent examples:
First, a young black man named James Shaw, Jr. (age 29) was having a meal at a Waffle House in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee, this past April when a mostly nude young man entered the diner and began spraying customers with gunfire from an automatic weapon. When the shooter, who was clad only in a jacket, took a break from shooting to reload, Mr. Shaw rushed him and grabbed the hot barrel of the man's AR-15 and wrested it from him. The shooter, Travis Reinking, also 29-years-old, fled the scene and was captured by police the next day.
Four people were killed in the shooting, and four others wounded.
James Shaw, Jr. instantly achieved widespread notoriety for his heroic action. His alma mater, Tennessee State University, recognized him in a ceremony and reception, and the university established a scholarship in his name. For his part, Mr. Shaw set up a GoFundMe site with a goal of raising $15,000 - not for himself, but to benefit the shooting victims. The website quickly brought in more that $200,000.
James Shaw, Jr. was a hero both during and after the attack. Many public figures were effusive in praise of his bravery. But one important public official was somewhat reticent to offer congratulations. Donald John Trump had to be goaded by pundits and other politicians before he finally - 22 days after the incident - picked up the telephone to speak with Mr. Shaw and "commend (his) heroic actions and quick thinking last month."
Did I mention that James Shaw, Jr., is a black man?
Meanwhile in France . . .
A 22-year-old "illegal" immigrant from Mali, Mamoudou Gassama, also a black man, was walking along a Paris street two weeks ago enroute to watch a soccer game when he was suddenly confronted with blaring car horns and people pointing to the sky. Mr. Gassama looked upward where he saw, to his horror, a 4-year-old child dangling in the air as he desperately clung to a balcony railing - four stories up! Showing no concern for his personal safety, the young "illegal" alien scaled the exterior of the four-story build in less than thirty seconds, jumped from one balcony to another, and rescued the frightened child. Mr. Gassama said that he did not get scared until after the rescue was completed.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, who, like Trump, poses as being tough on immigration, nevertheless exhibited the political acumen and humanity to immediately recognize the heroics of the young man from Mali. He invited Mr. Gassama to a sit-down at Elysee Palace where he presented the youthful hero with a certificate and a gold medal - and a promise to fast track his application for citizenship. Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, telephoned the man who Parisians are now calling "Spiderman" to commend his heroics and to offer him a job with the Paris fire brigade.
Two heroes and two very different responses from national leaders. One can't help but suspect that if the American hero, James Shaw, Jr., had been an "illegal," the ICE gestapo would have grabbed him before the sun set that day, and, if he had children, they would have been rounded up and placed in a cage somewhere in Texas.
But I digress.
We should all take comfort in knowing that there are heroes among us. James Shaw, Jr. and Mamoudou Gassama risked their lives to save strangers, and, with their selfless acts of bravery, these two young men have shown the human race its true potential.
We have the ability to live in harmony and to care for one another.
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