If you ever had any doubt as to what a real hero looks like, just look at the photo above of James Shaw, Jr.
The photo above and the post below are both from Leslie Salzilio at Daily Kos.
There’s no doubt James Shaw Jr. is a hero in the eyes of many, and he was honored Tuesday morning at Tennessee’s State Capitol. Shaw, who was unarmed, courageously wrestled down a man who was armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic gun in the process of killing four young people of color and injuring others. The massacre took place in an Antioch Waffle House on Sunday morning.WSMVin Nashville reports:
The mayor of Nashville and the CEO of Waffle House both sung his praises the day he wrestled an AR-15 out of the gunman’s hands, burning his own hands on the gun barrel. He was also grazed by a bullet during the attack.Shaw was honored with a resolution that states:
“If a hero is ‘a person noted for courageous acts or nobility of character,’ then James Shaw Jr. is a hero twice over, for he has demonstrated both his courage and character in a manner few could ever attempt to emulate."If you watch the full video of the ceremony, you will see Shaw say that he does not consider himself a hero. In tears and with incredible humility and integrity, Shaw says he wasn’t trying to save the lives of others—he was trying to save his own. Who admits something like that? Where does that kind of honesty come from? Shaw now looks to the future and says the the honor means a lot to him. He calls what happened “a life-changing moment,” adding, “I’m going to try to use this moment as a platform to bring awareness to shootings and just violence.” In order to raise money for the Waffle House shooting victims, Shaw set up a GoFundMepage which has already raised over $100k. Click here to visit his page. WSMV adds there was another act of kindness today, by a man who’s was moved by Shaw’ heroism. The NY man wrote:
He wrote, “I normally don’t get involved directly in these matters, but James’ grace has inspired me to start this page to give him the support I feel he deserves. According to news reports, James has a 4-year-old daughter. Perhaps this money can be used for her college fund or some other education-related expense. But I’d be just as happy if James used some of this money to take his family on a nice vacation.” Click here to visit his GoFundMePage.Cheers to James Shaw Jr.—a hero on many levels. He’s winning hearts around the country and, as news travels, around the world.
