Heroes

It's been almost a week since those two t-shirt vendors saw the smoking car and spoke to a mounted policeman. Initially, we heard that there was only one vendor, Duane Jackson. I now know there's another - Lance Orton. They are both Viet Nam veterans. Good for them! They are true NY heroes.

The police responded along with the bomb squad and fire department. They evacuated Times Square, not a simple task, quickly and without panic. Although, from my experiences in New York, I'm not surprised there was no panic. New Yorkers take everything in stride, leave an affected area quickly and orderly. I've been through major blackouts, train breakdowns and 9/11. Everyone walked quickly and calmly away from any situation, even helping others.

Sometimes NY gets a bad rap. Yes, sometimes we seem rude when, in fact, we're usually just rushing or thinking of something else. Unfortunately, there are also times when some people ignore a crime or victim and those are the times that get the publicity.

I do have one complaint of the coverage of this event. Some in the media seem to feel sympathy for the bomber. They say he didn't find the American dream, he quit his job, lost his house and had other defaulted loans. Doesn't anyone realize that if you quit your job, you won't have money to pay your mortgage. Traveling to Pakistan several times also makes a big dent in your finances.

I just realized that I've gotten off track. This started out being a tribute to the heroes of last Saturday - Lance Orton and Duane Jackson who served our country again. Thank you men.