A coincidental contrast between parasitism and honorably borne duty — the US Senate "versus" Anthonius Gunawan Agung

© 2018 Peter Free

 

30 September 2018

 

 

I doubt that many Americans were uplifted by the Senate Judiciary Committee farce on 28 September — but . . .

 

That same date, this contrasting example:

 

 

A young Indonesian air traffic controller stayed on duty as the earthquake shook the building, to make sure one last aircraft escaped Friday’s deadly disaster. He was fatally injured fleeing afterwards.

 

Anthonius Gunawan Agung was the last person remaining in the air traffic control tower at Mutiara Sis Al Jufri Airport in Palu when the 7.7 quake hit the city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

 

While his colleagues ran for their lives as the tower swayed violently from the shocks, Agung, 21, remained steadfast to ensure that Batik Air Flight 6321 got off the ground, as deep fissures and cracks began to appear on the runway.

 

When the plane took off to safety, further trembling hit the tower. Fearing that he would be trapped beneath the rubble, Agung jumped the four stories off the tower, landing on the ground where he sustained a broken leg and internal injuries.

 

He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors decided to send him to a bigger one for better treatment. However, he died before the helicopter transporting him could reach its destination. He was just one month shy of his 22nd birthday.

 

© 2018 RT, Hero air traffic controller dies helping last plane escape Indonesian earthquake and tsunami, RT.com (29 September 2018)

 

 

The moral? — American culture spends too much time fawning over parasites

 

And too little recognizing:

 

 

(a) which people and social strata really do the world's work

 

and

 

(b) what genuine honor and service look like.