Firefighters Deserve the Standing Ovations

The events of the past weeks put things into painfully clear perspective. It’s obvious who the real heroes in this country are. It’s not the man who gets paid millions of dollars to chase a ball around million-dollar stadiums, then holds out because he “just wants what I’m worth.” I would love to see Barry Bonds, Vince Coleman, Rickey Henderson or Emmitt Smith up in the hills of Malibu fighting to save not their own skins, but the lives and homes of others. Maybe then they would find out that they aren’t worth quite as much as the brave men who were doing just that. Unfortunately, we’ll never see that, mainly because they couldn’t fill those firemen’s boots.

Thank God those heroes didn’t hold out this season to get “just what they’re worth.” There isn’t enough money to pay them that.

ALEX ARKO

Los Angeles