Running into danger

Most of us would like to think that we would perform well in a crisis.  That's natural.  We all see ourselves in the most favorable light in most areas.  I remember the first time I dealt with giving CPR to someone.  The scene was gruesome.  But training kicked in and my partner and I tried to keep a person alive until the paramedics arrived.

That doesn't mean I'd run into a burning building.  Or into a school building where a crazed individual (probably male) is shooting people.  Scot Peterson says he did nothing wrong by taking up a "tactical position" outside the school building where Nikolas Cruz was slaughtering students.  Law enforcement professionals can pass judgment on the actions of Mr. Peterson.

But when Donald J. Trump, a man who claimed to have bone spurs in order to avoid the Vietnam era draft; says he would have run into that building, eyebrows get raised.  Jokes are being made about the fact he probably can't run very far without collapsing due to shortness of breath.  The truth is, he is not someone who would run toward danger.  Witness this.

That is not the behavior of a man who would risk his life to defend others.

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We celebrate first responders for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost is that when most would run from the danger, they run toward it.  They risk their own safety to preserve the lives of others.  It is not something everyone and anyone can do.  It is a choice.

Last month marked the 45th anniversary of the announcement that this nation would no longer draft men into the military.  Our military is an all-volunteer force, although we require men who reach the age of 18 to register for Selective Service...just in case.

Running into danger should be a choice.  But once you make the commitment to that choice, you need to live up to the commitment.