With the horror of Jonesboro, Ark., still sending shock waves throughout the country - as it should - it's easy to overlook the many courageous and heroic acts that take place on a regular basis nationwide.
And that includes Jonesboro, where an incomprehensible act of violence by two boys who shot to death five people and wounded many more was coun-tered by the ultimate act of courage and self-sacrifice - the giving of one's life to save another.Shannon Wright, a 32-year-old English teacher and mother of a 2-year-old son, didn't hesitate to put her life on the line to protect another, in this case 11-year-old Emma Pittman.
"I think Mrs. Wright saw that bullet coming," Pittman said. "She grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me out of the way. She got hit, and she just fell." Remarked Emma's mother, Susan Pittman, "I want her family to know how grate-ful and thankful we are because she didn't think of herself; she thought of these children."
The good news in this crazy world of ours is there are a lot of people like Shannon Wright. Many reside in Utah.
Taking a look at local news reports the past couple of months shows that acts of courage and heroism abound.
On Feb. 24, two Utah Highway patrolmen, Lt. Kevin Youngberg and Sgt. Brad Horne, put themselves at risk to wade into the frigid Weber River to rescue a driver who had been trapped under water in his car for 20 minutes. Because of Youngberg's and Horne's bravery and a pocket of air, Cale Patterson, 20, emerged from the water, cold, stunned and most importantly, alive.
A similar experience occurred March 12 when 1st Class Sgt. Bryan Smethurst of the Army National Guard went into the chilly Provo River to save the lives of a woman and a 3-year-old child who were trapped in a partially submerged car that was upside-down. The water was so cold that Smethurst lost the feeling in his hands, yet he persisted until he was able to free the toddler, who was upside down strapped in a car seat with the water at her eyebrows.
Cindy Fuki-Gim was caught in one of five avalanches that came down in the White Pine area of Little Cottonwood Canyon March 15. Her car was lifted up and carried off the road more than 350 feet into a ravine. It landed upright but was buried in snow up to the windows. She was able to roll down a window on the third try and crawl out.
She could have headed for safety, but she didn't as there were those in danger around her. One man was buried in snow up to his neck. Fuki-Gim started digging him out with her hands, then returned to her car to get a ski to dig with. She also assisted two people trapped in a car.
Her service as a flight attendant for more than 20 years helped prepare her to deal with such emergencies. "It didn't occur to me to leave. You've got to help," she said.
Then there are the quiet acts of courage that take place on a daily basis, like those of Brady Blaser and his family, which were detailed by Deseret News senior writer Carma Wadley on March 8. Blaser and his parents are the definition of courage.
Blaser, born with a rare and devastating form of muscular dystrophy, was given only six weeks to live. That was 20 years ago. Legally blind with hearing problems, he has been bed-bound and hooked to tubes and machines most of his life. Only in the past five years, following a blessing from Elder James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and now a member of The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has he been able to use a wheelchair equipped with a ventilator that allows for limited access to the outside world.
Despite a multitude of difficulties, he has a keen mind with a passion for politics and government. His hero is former President George Bush, and arrangements have been made for him to meet with Bush when Bush is in Salt Lake City for a seminar on April 21. Instead of hiding away, Blaser delights in interacting with people.
His bedroom is constantly filled with friends from school. "Everyone knows Brady, and they're always coming here - before and after dances, basketball games, dates. He has e-mail and an 800 number to keep track of all his friends who have gone away to college or on missions. We had to get him his own phone line, he uses it so much," Blaser's mother, Earlene, said.
The above examples demonstrate the inherent goodness of people. They and the many other acts of courage, kindness and compassion that occur on a daily basis provide reasons for hope for times like Jonesboro, when things may seem hopeless.