To the Editor:
Because of the bus accident on Monday, Sept. 10, the small, close-knit community of the Milton Pope School District learned the true definition of a “Hero.”
Firefighters, police officers, paramedics, hospital personnel, school administrators, and parents alike were all on hand to help out with the situation. Due to their training, cool headedness, and caring of these individuals, the accident was taken care of by the book and with little to no problems.
While this is not to diminish the efforts of any or all of these people, it is to point out what really happened that day.
The true “Heroes” of this story are the kids that were in that bus. From the moment the accident happened, these children took control of a situation they have never been in before, have never had any training in dealing with, and made the efforts of the above mentioned much easier.
Having talked to a few of the kids myself, and listening to the stories of others, these kids took control of what could have been a potentially deadly situation. After being tossed around in the bus for what seemed like an eternity, they gained their composure and started to execute a plan that none of them even knew existed.
The kids themselves began helping one another get out of the bus. The bus ended up on the side, which precluded the door from staying open on its own. One student held the door open while another jumped down to help out the “little guys,” as it was explained. Older kids began comforting younger kids.
One child ran out to the road to flag down people for help. All the while this was going one, those students who were instrumental in helping were ignoring the injuries that they had themselves sustained.
Once outside of the bus, kids began to comfort one another until help arrived. Photos show kids lined up on backboards, six and seven kids in total, holding each other’s hands while waiting to be loaded into ambulances for transport. Stories are still coming in as to all of the miraculous efforts put forth by this new breed of “Hero.”
In a time where most kids only receive bad press, a time when kids are not dressing and acting the way the rest of society wants them to, a time when their generation is known as the “Me Generation,” we find that, when things are all said and done, those kids are still people. They do know right from wrong and posses compassion for their fellow man. I believe, that is what we all want from each other, is it not?
So the next time you see a kid whose pants are sagging, or their music is not what you would listen to yourself, take it easy on them. Before you tell them to “act their age,” be careful, there is a good possibility that there is a Hero trapped inside of them, just waiting to get out.
