Good News Americans #8
Genuine American heroes. New Yorker, Addir Mesika, 23-years-old, like many hundreds of young people, was attending that fateful nighttime festival in Israel near the Gaza border, along with his girlfriend and her friend. Suddenly, the sound of missiles from Gaza, followed by gun fire, as Hamas thugs then attacked on the ground. Addir and his friends quickly got into a car and drove to a small bomb shelter nearby. Soon, the terrorists could be seen throwing grenades into similar shelters. As the killers drew nearer to Addir and his male friend, told the girls to hide inside. Then, to draw attention away from their shelter, at Addir’s signal, he and his friend, ran out directly toward the terrorists. Knowing the fate that awaited them, they were gunned down and killed immediately. The two girls spent several hours hidden within the shelter, until discovered, and safely freed, by Israeli forces. Their lives had been spared by Addir’s bold distraction plan, knowing that death would follow. Unquestionably, courageous heroes, reacting to a nightmare scenario, saved the lives of two others.
Following the murderous Hamas attack, Florida Republican Representative Cory Mills took it upon himself to fly to Israel to help Americans there desiring to leave. He made at least two trips bringing over 60 U.S. citizens home. Mills felt he simply needed to do the rescue, saying that he is: “showing solidarity with our Israeli brethren and helping Americans evacuate.” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was also quick to arrange for evacuation flights, with about 270 Americans on the first flights, due to arrive in Tampa on October 15th. Originally intended for Floridians, the DeSantis relief flights were then opened to other Americans as well. The State of Florida paid for the DeSantis-directed flights. There was no charge to passengers for the Mills flights either. Worth mentioning, since when the Biden administration did finally get around to arranging for such flights, it was made clear that evacuating Americans would have to pay for their own fare. Yes siree, with most commercial airline flights cancelled after the fighting began, we can toss millions at “climate control,” but our caring administration can’t pick up the humanitarian tab to get our fellow citizens out of an active war zone? Our thanks to Congressman Mills and Governor DeSantis for showing what credible and decisive leadership is all about.
It was a typical morning for Seagoville North Elementary school (Dallas, TX) bus driver, Raquel Radford Baker (nicknamed “Miss Rocky” by her young bus passengers), when, as she approached her drop-off point, a 7-year-old boy approached Mrs. Baker choking! Moments before, he had just put a quarter in his mouth! Well, that young boy was definitely in luck that morning. You see, Mrs. Baker was a military veteran with CPR training! Fortunately, she was then at the school, stopped the bus, and took the young boy off, and began doing the Heimlich Maneuver. While another parent called 911, Mrs. Baker continued with the CPR until, thankfully, that quarter popped out of the young boy’s mouth. Interesting that she just happened to be covering for another driver that morning, and darn lucky that she was! That boy’s mother was later able to meet Mrs. Baker. Said she: “I was able to look her in the eyes and tell her how much I thanked her for saving my son’s life.” Said Mrs. Baker: “I feel like God placed me there for a reason. I mean, if I wasn’t there, I don’t know what the other driver may have done.” Our thanks to this great American military veteran with the training and presence of mind to deal with this serious choking incident, most certainly saving his life.
Along with the move these days toward suggesting that some graduating high school seniors, depending on career choice, consider apprenticeships or technical college certifications, in order to enter the job market sooner, and without the too often hefty student loan debt often resulting from four-year college programs, some U.S. companies are beginning to actually eliminate that prior requirement that applicants must have a four-year degree. Corporations like Walmart, IBM, Bank of America, and Google “have announced plans to reduce the number of jobs that require college degrees,” including for some corporate positions. Clearly, careers in fields like medicine, law, etc. will continue to require traditional college degrees. But for other career choices, a recent research report found that dropping the four-year degree requirement “could open up 1.4-million jobs for American workers, without college degrees, over the next five years.” Said one company owner regarding evaluating potential new hires, who focuses on the individual, along with considering three qualities: “Do they get it … Do they want it …Are they capable,” and lastly, are they a fit for the company’s culture. This won’t apply to all career paths that young people wish to pursue, but for those without degrees, don’t desire one, and who can’t afford the seemingly ever-increasing tuition costs without costly loans, this move to eliminate the traditional degree requirement is definitely good news for a great many young Americans, as well as those older who most often have related work experience to offer.
The Perkiomen Valley School District Board in Pennsylvania voted recently to reverse its earlier bathroom policy at its schools. Previously, for instance, a male transgender student was able to use the traditional girls’ bathroom. The change in policy, mandating bathrooms according to original biological gender, came only after a large student walk-out, community response, and after key citizens spoke directly with School Board members. Said one parent: “Kids were upset. Girls….we wanted to protect them. They didn’t want men in their bathroom.” Referring to the reversal in policy, the Board President said to an area TV station: “Although I voted differently, I respect the outcome of the vote. I also appreciate our student body, those who came to our previous board meeting to vote, and the 300+ students who used their First Amendment right to voice their opinion in favor of the (reversed) policy during their protest (i.e., walkout) on Friday.” Another important win for common decency and common sense.
Heman Bekele, a 14-year-old 9th grader at Woodson High School in Annandale, Virginia, has received the award for being named “America’s Top Young Scientist.” The award is a part of 3M Corporation’s annual ‘Young Scientist Challenge’ and included a $25,000 grand prize. So, what did young Mr. Bekele achieve to win this prestigious contest? He created a low-cost bar of soap that treats skin cancer! He did this by “infusing medicinal soap with three ingredients that have been found to reactivate dendritic cells that generate an immune response to combat cancer.” Within the next few years, he hopes to form a nonprofit group that will be able to distribute this inexpensive breakthrough to communities in need. Let me remind you that Heman Bekele is just 14-years-old! Best yet, he’s a young, super-smart, Black American. There is no question that this intelligent and truly committed young man will be facing a very bright, and achievement-filled, future here in America.
And our final Good News America salute for this edition goes to Rev. Oliver Pitts, Sr. and Mrs. Violet Jarrell Pitts, of Macon, Georgia, who, earlier this month, renewed their marriage vows, signifying 70-years of solemn commitment to each other and to their bond of marriage. Congratulations to Reverand and Mrs. Pitts for their 70-years of happiness together, with hopes that they’ll see and enjoy several more very special anniversaries together.
(Fact Sources: Young American heroes as Hamas attacked via foxnews.com, Hannah Grossman, 10-25-23; Bringing Americans in Israel home vias connect.infinity.com, Sophia Flores, 10-11-23 and twitchy.com, justmindy, 10-15-23; Bus driver saves the life of a chocking elementary school student via dailymail.com, Martha Williams, 10-24-23; Some U.S. corporations beginning to drop the four-year college degree requirement for employment, even at the corporate level via foxnews.com, Kendall Tietz, 10-16-23; Reversal of objectionable school bathroom policy via foxnews.com, Taylor Penley, 10-5-23; 14-year-old student wins national science contest via dailymail.com, 10-23-23; Georgia couple celebrates 70-years of marriage, via breitbart.com, Amy Furr, 10-9-23).