Heroes those who save lives (From South Wales Argus)

Heroes those who save lives

1:54pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in Letters

FIRSTLY, let me say that I admire and congratulate anyone who achieves their lifetime ambition (as long as it’s legal and morally acceptable), including Olympic medal-winners, but the constant call for national honours for gold medal-winners is becoming annoying. Put things into perspective. If you are trapped in a motorway crash, you don’t phone the local velodrome or if you are having a heart attack, the local swimming-pool. The local gym isn’t much use if your house is on fire.

The title of ‘hero’ is so misused in sporting commentaries. Heroes are like the Mine Rescue Team who went into the hell of the Gleision mine to attempt to rescue the trapped miners, lifeboat crews (mostly part-time), emergency medical services who have to deal with drunks and addicts on our streets at night. These and many more like them are heroes, not someone who runs 100 metres in 9 seconds.

Team GB did extremely well, but let’s stop basking in their reflected glory and concentrate more on the important, but less glamorous topics like escalating unemployment in our country Derek Everett Crindau Road, Newport