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Hickory Daily Record Editorial

Published: September 13, 2009

THUMBS UP to Marvin Stanley and the other passersby who rescued Christopher Kale from his burning SUV on Friday. It was a tricky situation that Stanley and his helpers faced. They tried to put out the fire, but it blazed up again. The incident could have ended tragically. But it didn't, thanks to the selfless act of heroism. Everyone is OK. It's not easy to face a fire, and this one engulfed the rear and interior of the SUV. Kale was rescued just in time. Thanks to Stanley and others he called "a group of good guys."

THUMBS DOWN to U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson for his ugly outburst during President Obama's address to a Joint Session of Congress last week. Wilson yelled, "You lie," when Obama said his health-care reform package does not extend benefits to illegal aliens. We understand the emotion that infuses the health-care debate. We expect our representatives to be stalwart and vehement when necessary. But Wilson was wrong. There is no place for such behavior in Congress. It's true that the mountains of regulations cannot keep anyone from using emergency rooms and public hospitals from seeking medical care. ERs are how many Americans obtain care. Regardless of who you are or your ability to pay, medical facilities built — even in part — with public money must have open-door policies. Unless many laws and rules are rewritten, health care is available for illegal aliens and indigent citizens. Stipulating that illegal aliens are not eligible for taxpayer-paid health care in reform bills will not change that. But Wilson was way out of line. His behavior was more suitable for a barroom brawl than Congress. We demand you be steadfast and outspoken, even if we don't always agree. But we cannot tolerate such boorishness from the leaders of the United States of America.

THUMBS UP to Alena Greer, the telecommunicator who handled the 911 calls involving the so-called opium murders in which four members of a family were slain. With exceptional aplomb, Greer enhanced the response of authorities to the horrible crime. She was selected Telecommunicator of the Year by the N.C. chapter of the National Emergency Number Association for her performance. Emergency operators must be cool and be able to elicit information in the most trying situations. Greer did her job to a T. It's good to know we have people like her who will answer in our times of greatest need. That's why they're no longer called operators. They're telecommunicators, and Greer is a fine example why.