chilean miners and why no one knew their rescuers

When I was young, there was big news on a girl that was stuck in a well and the daring rescue that happened. It made quite a stir around the world, to think that  the internet wasn't invented yet at the time and even CNN and BBC and all the 24 hour news channels were at their infancy and reach was limited. What struck me as funny was that the girl actually made headlines - why was she in the headlines when she got herself stuck in the well? I would have spanked her after she was cleared by the doctors, after the incident.

Now I don't have anything against all these stories of courage and the human spirit. The fact is, we all love these stories because it stirs inside us a hungering passion to be alive again, and reminds us of how precious life is. If it were up to nature, we would rather be all dead. I think the mining accident happened in due course - Chile was sent a sign from nature. And the miners were the accidental victims. But then again, in the world's eyes, they were heroes, albeit accidental ones. We should celebrate the rescuers, if you ask me. There is very little reference to them in the news. The courage of the miners were forced by circumstance. They have to take courage or die. The rescuers were courageous by choice. I wonder why nobody took the time to feature them extensively. This is why i didn't follow the news. Sadly, there was nothing in the miners that could have spelled human interest for me. I would rather hear about the rescuers and their families, how they coped with the imminent danger that they have consciously plunged themselves into. Now that for me, is the big news - people who regularly take a stand and make a choice, no matter how unpopular, to be courageous and do the right thing. It saddens me that accidents like these become fodder for news huggers and politicians. The saddest thing is that everyone loves accidental heroes, but nobody cares about heroes by choice. That is why people love to hear about the rescued, not the rescuers. People by nature, are jaded, dismissive and suspicious of people who, on a daily basis, choose to be in a dangerous situation, because they want to help.

I am glad that all miners were rescued. But I am gladder that nothing bad happened to the rescuers, and I salute them for making a choice to be courageous. Nowadays, very few people make that choice, which deserves higher human interest than the rescued.

bigboy promises to get back to you soon with new news! nunus!