As you know, I don’t use the word Hero lightly.
I’m not ashamed to say that my favorite mayor is Cory Booker of Newark, NJ.
He’s a graduate of Stanford; his movies ‘Street Fight’ and ‘Brick City’ are both classics; he’s transforming Newark from a slum to a nice place to live; and his future as a politician is extremely bright.
Today, it’s reported that he rescued a neighbor out of a burning building, carried her down the steps, through the fire, and collapsed on the sidewalk outside.
Give that man a cape!
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Great thing he did!! He saved a life by putting his own at risk! This is what fire fighters do everyday across this fare country! Way to go Mayor Booker!
ReplyDeleteThis is where I always get in trouble.
DeleteIf your job description is to fight fires and you are trained to rescue people from burning buildings, should you be considered a hero for doing your job?
Mayor Booker had no protective clothing and no oxygen tank, walked into a burning building and saved a life while risking his own.
That's an automatic hero in my book.
perhaps, stephan roots should take a peek at sunday's editorial on page 32 of the times.
DeletePage 32 says every American service member who ever put on a uniform is a hero.
DeleteIf so, re-enlist every dishonorable discharge.
Fire fighters do it because they choose to persevere and save life! I think that is pretty Nobel and Heroic in itself don’t you? Why did you take what was said negatively?
ReplyDeleteSo, people become fire fighters to become a hero?
DeleteGive this man a cape please!!! I love him!!!
ReplyDeletehoo ray for the mayor!!! he did good,especially when they tried to hold him back, but he knew someone was inside!!. and, didn't know when the firefighters would get there. sometime...time is of the essence
ReplyDeleteIn hind sight, do you think he'd do it again?
DeleteHe said once he was inside he realized he did a stupid thing.
As a refinery worker, we were trained not to resuce a co-worker because what took them out will likely take you out too.
In the heat of the moment, it's hard to say which reaction will win out - the human reaction to help or the common sense reaction you are trained to follow.
It's the heroic act that makes the person a "hero", but I applaud anyone who is willing to place their own lives in danger to save others and that list is long--firefighters, police, military, doctors, etc...If you are doing a job that others won't do that has a positive effect on someone's life, you are a hero in my book...Kudos to Mayor Booker...
ReplyDeleteWhat is a firefighter worth?
ReplyDeleteThere has been so much talk recently about things like containing costs, lowering taxes, and those who work in public safety being overpaid - particularly firefighters - that it could make your head spin. We've all done the "simple math," crunched the numbers, and it all seems to boil down to a simple question. What are firefighters worth?
I guess that depends. We live in a country that seems to have forgotten what our priorities are. A man can be a skilled athlete who happens to throw and catch a football well, and make millions and millions of dollars to do so. And we as a society are not only OK with that, but we gather in front of our televisions and cheer that man on. Meanwhile, a firefighter kisses his children goodbye before every shift knowing the harsh reality that it very well could be the last time he will see them, and he is fighting tooth and nail for decent health coverage and substantial pay to support those children.
He is the man that you call when your elderly father has a stroke. He is the person that will extract your 16-year-old son from a mangled vehicle on the highway in the middle of the night. He is the person that will be there in a heartbeat when your newborn infant stops breathing. He is the person who is exposed to countless dangerous scenarios and has seen horrific things during his career that would psychologically haunt most of us for the rest of our lives. We trust him to save our homes and belongings in the event of a disastrous fire, and we trust him to keep us breathing and our hearts beating when we face our most critical moments. What is he worth to you?
He sometimes will go days without sleep, and make life altering decisions on every call he shows up to. He has missed family meals, bedtime stories, Christmas mornings, school plays, anniversaries, Thanksgiving dinners, and his own children's birthdays. We all know that life is so very short, and firefighters sacrifice precious time with the most important people in their lives to save the lives of the most important people in yours. And now they have to defend and protect their pensions, well deserved health benefits, and their paychecks. It has been proposed by some that they lose many of their benefits, and work extra shifts that they will not be compensated for. There seems to be a serious misconception that firefighters are in it for the monetary gain, and more and more often have been portrayed in a negative light for actually expecting to be compensated for the sacrifices that they make to do their job. For an individual that has chosen this selfless career, it begs the question: Is it worth it?
Most of us are willing to pay a little extra for something if it is important to us,Šwhether it be the shoes we wear, the doctor we choose to treat us, or even the cup of coffee we drink. It is something that we value, therefore it is worth the cost. Most would agree that our safety and protection is of unmeasurable value. Those of us that are skilled in math may look at the numbers and think that stripping those who serve our public of their way to earn a decent living is an answer to a financial equation. But firefighters and their families are not numbers on a piece of paper. They are human beings that are doing their jobs every day to the best of their ability, and possibly sacrificing their own lives for the life of a stranger. Not many of us in our right mind would do that for free, and no one should have to.
So before making our minds up that firefighters are the financial problem, sit down with a local firefighter and ask him about his job. Ask him about his wife and his sons or daughters, what kind of house he lives in, and what type of car he drives. And then ask yourself, if you were to take on such a career, what would you expect in return?
Tina Clarke
Proud wife of a Cumberland firefighter
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I can't help but to respect the skills, courage, and bravery of firefighters. To think that there are even volunteer firefighters is hard to believe.
DeleteIf there was some way we could turn firefighting into entertainement.
That's the only way they'll get paid what they deserve.