Roy Exum
Michael Hammons, a Desert Storm veteran who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, was arrested and put in jail in Athens, Ga., last weekend on charges I’m guessing will never stick. Hammons walked where a small crowd had gathered, waiting on police because a dog was trapped in a hot car with no fresh air or water.
So the guy did exactly what I and a number of others would have done – he broke the car’s front door and lifted the pup out of what is believed to have been temperatures in excess of 100 degrees.
Not long after, the owner of the car and the dog showed up and went ballistic, saying she was only gone for five minutes, but several onlookers scoffed, telling police it was more like a half-hour.
Hammon was not sorry. “I’ve got PTSD and I’ve seen enough death and destruction. I didn’t want anything else to happen if I could prevent it.”
Hammon said he personally felt a wave of heat when he reached to get the dog. “It was panting and obviously in distress.”
The car’s owner insisted Hammon be taken to jail and booked on criminal trespass and while Oconee County deputies would not normally do that, the formal complaint left them no choice. The car’s owner was cited for leaving a dog in a hot car.
In Georgia, state law allows the rescue of a child in a hot or cold car, but there is no provision for pets. Now, here’s some other stuff we need to catch-up on:
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A palindrome is a series or words that will read forward and backwards the same way. The spacing between the words may change but the letter read exactly the same. EXAMPLE: “Was it a car or a cat I saw.” The reason I mention it is because we are in a “palindrome week.”
Every day between 5/10/15 and 5/19/15 is a palindrome … remove the slashes and the numbers read the same forward or backward!
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Say what you will about Tiger Woods but when the great golfer heard a 16-year-old, identified only as “Dillon” had tried to kill himself, Tiger – the kid’s hero – responded immediately. It seems Dillon has a hard time with stuttering and the bullying by his peers got so bad he quit the football team and tried to jump out of his bedroom window onto a concrete slab several stories below.
His parents were able to break the fall at the last minute, costing Dillon a broken leg, and one thing led to another. Ron Sirak of Golf Digest told Tiger what had happened and Woods immediately penned the boy this letter:
“I know what it’s like to be different and sometimes not fit in. I also stuttered as a child and I would talk to my dog and he would sit there and listen until he fell asleep. I also took a class for two years to help me and I finally learned to stop…I think it inspired me to work harder. I know you can do it too.
“You have a great family, and big fans like me on your side. Be well and keep fighting. I’m certain you’ll do great at anything you do.”
Shocked Dillon replied, “I acted on impulse and now wish I hadn’t. I was just tired of feeling small and like I didn’t matter. I know I do matter with the help of my family and friends like you to support me. So thank you and please thank Ron. You are really a great person.”
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Did you happen to notice the great soccer player, 30-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo, just donated about $8 million to those hurt by the earthquake in Nepal? I didn’t think so…wasn’t a big news item. (What!) Actually, the gift was the “Save The Children” with the understanding it would help provide food, hygiene kits and war to the country that was just ravaged by another earthquake. Ronaldo, “The Phenomenon,” is one of the greatest players of all time. He retired in 2011.
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Matthew Kohr, a police lieutenant in Raleigh, N.C., sued Starbucks after he spilled some of what was a free cup of coffee on his lap. “I didn’t know it was that hot,” he said, seeking $750,000 in damages. On Monday of this week a jury ruled against Kohr, adding that Starbucks is not to pay his medical fees or cover his “pain and suffering.”
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A popular vote was just held to see which woman America would like on a $20 bill instead of Andrew Jackson. The tally of the four finalists: Harriett Tubman received 118,328 votes, while Eleanor Roosevelt was second with 111,227 ballots. Rosa Parks came in third with 67,173 votes, and Wilma Mankiller got 58,703 votes.
royexum@aol.com