I am accustomed to having certain friends and family members willing to lay their lives on the line to protect others if need be. They and I have thought long and hard about it. We got firm as a result. Indeed, some of the people who I know have done just that — laid their lives on the line — and we are primed to go if and when we have to serve.
Others have, seemingly, no prior deliberations on the topic, but when pressed to go forward, they do so even when grazed by a bullet and suffering second or third degree burns from grabbing the AK-47, an assault rifle, in the wrong place. James Shaw managed to grab the weapon, anyway, throw it over a counter and drag the shooter (who had killed four people already and injured others) out of the restaurant where he was carrying out his shooting spree.
The shooter, Travis Reinking, was buck naked except for a jacket which had more ammunition in its pockets. This fact didn’t deter James as he wrestled him to the ground, took the rifle to fling it and dragged the murderer away.
Afterwords, James was taken to the hospital for medical treatment as his hand was quite raw and his bullet wound needed treatment, too. Then he went to visit other victims of the shooting at the hospital to see about how they were doing. Then he went to eat and went to church where his family and friends were waiting for him.
While at another restaurant not long after the shooting incident, he was worried that someone dangerous might come through the eatery’s door. So he kept checking it.
In addition, he said that he was now leery and afraid of strangers, especially on the street. So it would take a while to heal, but he found his church, his friends and family especially helpful in the healing process, including his very young daughter.
On Tuesday, Tennessee state lawmakers honored Shaw for his heroism.”You are my hero,” said state Rep. Jason Powell, a Nashville Democrat. “You are Tennessee’s hero.” A Tennessee Senate resolution, which unanimously passed Monday, called Shaw’s courage especially moving and inspiring. The state House followed suit Tuesday afternoon. – Waffle House shooting hero James Shaw Jr. created fundraiser for victims, now there is one for his daughter – USA Today
In all honesty, I do not care one whit about this hero’s skin color, culture, ethnic group, religion, the fact that he named his daughter Brooklyn after a city or anything else of that ilk. All of this sort of information means nothing since what matters is that he stand up for that which is right, good, honorable, moral and conscionable. He is lovable on account.
He represents a model that we need to have more. We need it instead of the horrid assault video games that even certain college administrators have students play to get scholarship money. We need it more than our department of defense in the USA funding some of these games with taxpayer dollars and looking for recruits on account — i.e., the ones best at video sharpshooting and handling drones with missiles.
In fact, the two positions — the one taken by James and many in the USA government — seems dialectically opposed. His stance also seems opposed to the gun nuts in the USA and the main position of the NRA, as well as weapon manufacturers. Accordingly, may the orientation of James prevail! May it inspire others!
Lastly, I wish for him, his family, the victims of the massacre and others:
“May you be safe and protected. May you be healthy and strong. May you be truly happy.” – Jack Kornfield, a Buddhist, on beginning this time-honored, heart-opening practice, How to Do Metta
Amidst gruesome shootings, some brave persons risk lives and save lives. This keeps optimism alive and think of humanity. People, not governments, are the best deterrent to stop such crimes. Governments merely look for their survival with impunity and corporate support