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A number of funds have been established for those interested in donating to the family of Stephen T. Johns, who heroically sacrificed his life in Wednesday's shooting at the Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Multiple organizations are collecting donations on behalf of the family:
- The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is collecting checks made payable to USHMM Officer Johns Family Fund -- those checks should be mailed to USHMM, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl. SW, Washington D.C. 20024. You can also call 877-918-7466 between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., or donate through the museum's Web site.
- Checks payable to the American Jewish Committee, with "Holocaust Museum Memorial Fund" on the memo line, should be mailed to: American Jewish Committee Washington Chapter in care of Melanie Maron Pell, 1156 15th St. NW, Suite 1201, Washington D.C. 20005. You can also give through the AJC website.
- Johns' employer Wackenhut directs contributions by check or money order to Zakia Christina Johns in care of WSI Wachovia, 4440 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. 33410.
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Sorry folks, but no on the Hero tag.
He was hired to employ deadly force, as necessary, to protect the museum and its visitors. He died doing his job.
Hero is overworked.
He deserves some recognition, I think, because he died at the hands of a psychotic, racist, anti-semitic lunatic. Plus it's a tragedy since he seemed to be a good person and a family man--we need more people like this in the world. That's all.
I agree fully, but in the heat of passion following this tragic killing, we don't have find some meaning by labeling him a hero. Aaron's write-up is a little over the top.
I also fully agree we need more good persons in the world.
Man, I really hesitate to pull the old dictionary line, but definition 1d. for hero in Webster's is "one that shows great courage." Are we really arguing here that Johns didn't act with "great courage"? Regardless of whether you were getting paid for it or not -- would you have stood there ready to engage if you saw a crazed man walk into your office's lobby with a long gun? I sure wouldn't.
I'm just as much against blind hero-worship as anyone, and yes, as you note, the idea of the modern hero is "overworked." But in this case, I think the moniker is warranted.
Reasonable minds can and will disagree, though, so I hear what you're saying.
To Over the River:
FYI, a hero can be a regular everyday person--they do not have to be famous or well-known. There's nothing over the top about this write-up. Bottom line is, the brother sadly did end up losing his life to a sadistic racist psychopath. I used to be a security guard, that's also why I'm feeling the sympathy; and I'm telling you,you couldn't pay me enough to have to deal with a situation like that. And I'm sure dealing with a gun-toting psycho walking right into the museum was not including in his job description, and he barely had time to process the fact that this crazy nut was actually going to shoot him---let's be real,that's the LAST damn thing you expect to happen when you're visiting or working in a museum. R.I.P., Mr. Johns.