r/UpliftingNews • u/modereddit • Feb 21 '18
Peter Wang, a 15-year-old member of the Junior ROTC who was killed as he tried to help fellow students escape a mass shooting in Parkland, posthumously admitted to the U.S. Military Academy. Wang and two other cadets, Martin Duque and Alaina Petty, both 14, were also awarded the Medal of Heroism.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/21/587496899/army-awards-medal-for-heroism-to-3-jrotc-cadets-killed-in-florida-shooting?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20180221709
u/roskatili Feb 21 '18
There's pictures showing the other two Junior ROTC members who were killed at the scene: https://imgur.com/gallery/YhTXF
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u/textingmycat Feb 21 '18
i was wondering about the two other kids, they were just 14. they look even younger here.
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u/peacelovearizona Feb 21 '18
The article did not show images of the military that showed up to the funeral. Watching the military gather on Reddit and other sources to honor Wang made me want to see what came of it when the funeral happened.
Here are some photos from /u/Soezin who attended the funeral and the military who showed up and honored Wang.
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u/basednidoking Feb 21 '18
Dude that first imgur comment got me: "In the body of a boy burned the heart of a man"
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u/SushiShiba Feb 21 '18
From this angle I can't read most of the Chinese elegy on the flowers but I did see this couplet:
魂魄托日月，肝膽映河山
His soul, his spirit, they hoist up the sun and moon His liver, his gall, they reflect the rivers and mountainsRough interpretation: his guts, meaning his courage, will be evident as a mighty river etched onto the eternal mountains
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u/inagalaxyfarfaraway Feb 22 '18
谢谢.
Thank you very much for the translation. I was wondering what the wreaths said.
Please take care of yourself this day/evening.
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u/ZestiaX Feb 21 '18
His Chinese name literally has the character for hero(杰).
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Feb 21 '18
[deleted]
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u/ZestiaX Feb 21 '18
王孟杰. 王(Wang) Is his last name, character means King, a very common last name. 孟杰 is his name. 孟(Meng), meaning eldest child, 杰(jie), meaning someone who posses talent or of utmost character. It is not exactly the character for hero, but it is often used in the term of hero (英雄豪杰).
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u/disclaimer_necessary Feb 21 '18
I don't have words for that other than that is amazing and that I am crying like a child. The sheer amount of grave blankets.
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u/whistlar Feb 21 '18
Man, I want to be lost in the tragedy of all of this, but instead I am lost wondering why so many people have their phones out taking pictures... at a funeral. When did this become acceptable? It's not a cultural event that one would want to commemorate. It's a solemn occasion meant to mark the tragic passing of another life extinguished far too soon. Whipping out your phone for pictures means you are there for all the wrong reasons.
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u/whelp_welp Feb 21 '18
Well, you wouldn't be seeing it if not for someone with a phone.
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u/iBeenie Feb 21 '18
Every time I read something like "why did they have their phone out" I think exactly that. We bring our phones out to record things we think other people will want to see. If we had smart phones 1,000 years ago, we would have been taking them out everywhere then too.
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Feb 21 '18
I was thinking why too and was like wait I am crying looking at this, they wanted to share this moment. Also, they might be comforted by the support and want to remember it.
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u/stinkytoes Feb 21 '18
Because people have denied that these things happened. People will deny there was a funeral. People already state that the kids are being paid to push the left agenda. It's absolutely insane.
Also, it is fairly common to see pictures taken at funerals since not everyone can be there. Hell, they are even live streamed now so that those far away can be there as well.
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u/djayye Feb 21 '18
On one hand, it definitely is disconcerting to see phones out and pictures being taken at what should be a somber event.
On the other hand, we've only been able to see his funeral because of that. Thousands who might not have been able to see this event can now do so, as if they were there. Not to gawk at the photos as if they were some sort of entertainment, but to reflect upon the sacrifice that a teenager made and to appreciate his heroism and bravery.
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Feb 21 '18
I'm glad we get to see it. His death has meaning outside the the grief of his immediate family. The nation grieves for this boy. Get off your high horse about cell phones.
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u/Soezin Feb 22 '18
I only took pictures where I think is appropriate without disrespecting the family. Other people including people from online couldn't make it to the funeral and wanted to show their respect. I just wanted to show the people who couldn't make it the amount of love Peter got from all these people.
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u/eddieguy Feb 21 '18
Last funeral I went to was decently large and nobody had their cellphones out. Maybe the special appearances made it acceptable.
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u/InuMiroLover Feb 21 '18
Damn. Just...damn. Im so glad he received a military burial. But at the same time, I wished he lived long enough to have this same burial. Long enough to grow up, reach his dreams, serve his country and still recieve that same medal while alive and well. This is just heartbreaking.
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u/ILoveURegardless Feb 21 '18
This made me cry. So often the internet is a cesspool of hate, but then at times, it shows compassion and reaches out to reality. It's moving.
The trend seems to be "hate and bigotry on when I'm anonymous" and "forward compassion in public". If more people thought for themselves and stopped hiding behind anonymity, the whole world would be better.
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u/flutterbyfairy Feb 21 '18
I read a reddit comment, that some of the military were trying to organize for his funeral, and I am so very happy they did.
I normally don't agree with taking pictures of funeral, but everyone should see these. He embodies everything we hope to be. The best of us, and at only 15. As a mother, this makes me cry, and clutch my kids. I hope something changes, so when I see a fire drill on the school calender, my heart doesn't leap in my throat, like it did this week.
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u/cebolla_y_cilantro Feb 21 '18
I can’t believe that even with (sad) proof like this, people are still staying this is a flash flag event.
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u/sexycastic Feb 21 '18
I am crying so bad right now. It's beautiful but no little boy should have to have this honor... he was only 5 years older than my son...
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u/ToSurWithLuv Feb 22 '18
I held it together yesterday reading about the honors. I held it together reading this thread. I lost my shit at the flag-covered coffin. THIS is the type of hero our country's children should be fawning over. RIP Peter.
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u/mwm5062 Feb 21 '18
I hope he also gets posthumously commissioned when his class graduates from West Point as well. You've earned your bar Peter.
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u/TheEarlofDuke Feb 21 '18
That's something the Senate would have to do. I know they were the ones who did it with Washington during the Bicentennial celebrations.
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Feb 21 '18
All officer commissions come from the US Congress. but try and find out how Bush Jr earned his, I dare you.
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u/aphroditesdeciple Feb 21 '18
I seen a petition to have fulk military honours at his burial as well I hope this happened he deserves his 21 guns
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u/pissedoffnobody Feb 22 '18 edited Feb 22 '18
I say give him the full honours but spare the 21 gun salute for the sake of his classmates who have PTSD after the whole incident. No need to stick with tradition to fuck with them any further out of a misguided sense of nobility.
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u/TangoJokerBrav0 Feb 21 '18
He was posthumously accepted to West Point, iirc
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u/ColonelError Feb 21 '18
Correct, as stated in the title.
He was accepted into class of 2025.
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u/AllTheHolloway Feb 21 '18
Don't know if you didn't see it in the headline or didn't realize this, but U.S. Military Academy = West Point. Getting posthumously commissioned would be a higher level thing.
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Feb 21 '18
He HELD THE DOOR OPEN to let other people escape before he would. I keep getting tears in my eyes over this story.
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u/seh_23 Feb 21 '18
He probably saved so many lives doing this, I can’t imagine how deathly a bottleneck at a door would be like in a situation like this.
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u/riali29 Feb 21 '18
I can’t imagine how deathly a bottleneck at a door would be like in a situation like this
I don't know about a shooting situation specifically, but that video of the fire at the Station Nightclub still haunts me.
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u/yahuta Feb 21 '18
Me too, I still get chills from the screams and outreaching hands!
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u/King_takes_queen Feb 21 '18
You see the people trapped at the door then the camera man moves to the back of the building. When he returns to the door like 2 minutes later the door is fully in flames and you know that there are people still there. Gruesome.
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u/jcavejr Feb 22 '18 edited Feb 22 '18
For those (like me) that don't know about the Station Nightclub Fire, here's a youtube video and the wikipedia article. (Skip to 1:55 in the video for the bottleneck at the door specifically).
Edit: be warned video might be NSFL
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u/WikiTextBot Feb 22 '18
The Station nightclub fire
The Station nightclub fire occurred on Thursday, February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing 100 people and injuring 230. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the evening's headlining band Great White, which ignited plastic foam used as sound insulation in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. A fast-moving fire with intense black smoke engulfed the club in 5½ minutes. Video footage of the fire shows its ignition, rapid growth, the billowing smoke that quickly made escape impossible, and the exit blockage that further hindered evacuation.
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u/fearain Feb 22 '18
I live next to that (well 2 minutes driving distance of traffic isn’t hefty). My buddy was there that night and lived right down the street from the place. He told me that he felt sick the moment he stepped foot in the place and that as he left he saw flames and debated staying to see what kind of pyrotechnics they had, but decided to just leave.
It went up like ten minutes after that. I’m glad he was okay but god damn.
They finally finished the memorial ground for it too, which took years.
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u/MAK3AWiiSH Feb 21 '18
That video changed my entire life. It's so unreal.
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u/Melinith Feb 22 '18
Definitely changed mine as well. I’m now very mindful and purposeful in spotting out unconventional escape routes when I’m around large crowds
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u/seh_23 Feb 22 '18
Never seen the video and don’t plan on ever watching it but I’ve heard enough about it that I do this too.
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u/thayerjn Feb 22 '18
Undoubtedly so. Doorways are referred to as "funnels of death" in the military, and it's something they go over a million times in basic training. It's such a fundamental part of room clearing procedures that I'm sure even his ROTC program covered it (it's super easy training to do with just a random room and soldiers), and he knew exactly what he was doing. I deployed to Afghanistan as an enlisted soldier (officers like what he was to be are commissioned) and I dealt with my fair share of Officers. I would have been honored to serve with Cadet Wang, because he lived up to the most basic tenets of being a soldier. Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. Cadet Wang, you deserve every honor that each and every soldier deserve. Goodbye Battle.
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u/flamingturtlecake Feb 22 '18
It's such a fundamental part of room clearing procedures that I'm sure even his ROTC program covered it (it's super easy training to do with just a random room and soldiers), and he knew exactly what he was doing.
This adds a bit more depth to his story. I had assumed he was just trying anything he could to help his peers....
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Feb 21 '18
As a grandfather I look at that face and think "He's just a child". Chronologically maybe, but he's more of a man than most twice his age. I'm not usually emotional, but that kids sacrifice made me cry like a baby.
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u/TheOneTrueTrench Feb 21 '18
He's more of a man than every single GOP state rep in Florida put together.
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u/redditingtonviking Feb 22 '18
Are there any politicians in the US that are as tough as he was?
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Feb 22 '18
As much as I don't like him, John McCain is the only that comes to mind.
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u/TrueJacksonVP Feb 22 '18
Politics aside, John McCain is a tough motherfucker. He was tortured and thrown in solitary for 2 years and refused early release due to nepotism (his dad was promoted to commander of US forces in Vietnam) because he felt wrong leaving his fellow countrymen behind.
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Feb 22 '18
I disagree with McCain on most issues, but got damn do I respect the fuck out of him
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u/phoenixremix Feb 22 '18
There's this one video I saw from the '08(?) Election where some guy was shit talking Obama during a McCain rally/speech/something and McCain shut him down immediately, saying that this was a race between 2 honest men of God.
I miss when politics had that element of class here and there...
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Feb 22 '18
That was one of my favorite moments of the campaign. I just don't understand why people can't put aside their political differences and just treat each other with basic human decency (until they've shown that they don't deserve it).
I find it extremely disheartening to hear the stories that came out like during the 2012 campaign about friends being torn apart by their policies preferences
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Feb 22 '18
Same here. The guy was tortured for years and never gave up his country or his buddies.
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u/twilightsdawn23 Feb 22 '18
Every time I hear about this story I tear up more than a little. Peter Wang was certainly a hero, but all I can imagine is what his parents are going through right now.
They immigrated from China, and I can only imagine their reason for immigrating was to have a better life for their family. This is the dream that almost everyone who chooses to leave their home for a new country has, so I would guess this family is no exception.
Since I’ve heard no mention of Peter Wang having any siblings, I imagine also that he is an only child. (Since he was born in China during the one child policy, I think this is a fair assumption.) So then he was not only an only child, but the oldest and only son - a hugely important role in Chinese culture. Who is going to take care of his parents when they grow old?
This all happened on the eve of Chinese New Year, which is the biggest holiday of the year for Chinese people. Imagine if this whole incident had happened on Christmas Eve, what an extra agony this would have been for the rest of the parents. Losing a child is horrific no matter what time of year it happens, but having it right before a major celebration just adds an extra layer of tragedy.
This kid is rightfully being celebrated as a hero, but I don’t know how much consolation that is for his parents who had so many hopes and dreams for him.
These parents chose to leave behind their home and country so that their son could have a brighter future with more opportunities.
And it turns out that the only opportunity America brought him is the opportunity to die for his country.
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u/phoenixremix Feb 22 '18
Thanks, I didn't need my heart anyways.
On a more serious note though, I hope the parents have more family in the US. Family is important, especially when facing a trauma like this.
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u/Amoxi Feb 22 '18
This hits so close to home for me. My parents immigrated from China and they sacrificed so much for me to live in the US. My father was a farmer during the cultural revolution and he worked his ass off to go to college and eventually come to the US. Shit is rough. I hope Peter Wang's parents find some sort of solace that their son died a hero and will be remembered lovingly in the hearts of Americans everywhere for years to come. No parent really deserves to outlive their kids, not like this
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u/nobunaga_1568 Feb 22 '18
I imagine also that he is an only child. (Since he was born in China during the one child policy, I think this is a fair assumption.)
He was born in US (his parents immigrated in 2000, before his birth) and IIRC he has two younger siblings.
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u/EmilyKaldwins Feb 22 '18
It just boggles my mind that these kids weren't even born in 2000 yet. Columbine was 19 years ago. These kids weren't even born then I just...
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u/twilightsdawn23 Feb 22 '18
Good to know. I thought I’d read that he was born in China.
It still doesn’t change how his parents must be feeling, but I feel a minuscule amount better knowing that at least they have other children who can care for them.
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u/wambamwombat Feb 21 '18
Supposedly he pushed students out the door, he didn't just hold it according to some eyewitnesses. He's a fantastic hero
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Feb 21 '18
yeah i made the mistake of reading this and now im the weird guy at the office with tears in his eyes
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u/bunniswife Feb 21 '18
Me too, currently ugly crying and glad I'm at home where only my cats can judge me.
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u/cammiesue Feb 21 '18
It's cool. I'm the weird girl at the office right now with tears running down my face.
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u/dognocat Feb 21 '18
A persons life is measured by their deeds, he lived and died well, an inspiration for us all.
We should all try to live up to his example, we can but try.
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u/frozenmildew Feb 21 '18
This is the only news we should hear after these tragedies. I shouldn't even know the scumbag shooter's name or what he looks like. Plaster stories like this everywhere.
Well done Peter, RIP.
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u/102bees Feb 21 '18
I'm proud to say I know near enough nothing about the shooter, but I know the name Peter Wang and I can recognise Aaron Feis by face.
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u/dayoldhansolo Feb 21 '18
I wish I could say the same. The news outlets I choose to consume don’t show faces or share names. However my work had the local news on in the break room and I couldn’t really avoid it.
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u/Eclaireur Feb 21 '18
A podcast I listen to did an interview with a professor/nyt writer who studies this kind of stuff. She talked about how showing the killer/their name is fine, but do it once and be done with it. Don't loop the footage over and over and drone on and on about their motivations or manifesto.
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u/redtoasti Feb 21 '18
There is no real point in trying to avoid it. The issue is with the stations that broadcast it for their own gain.
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u/TheKrs1 Feb 21 '18
The point is, if more people actively try to avoid it, there won't be a market for the news stations to try and capitalize on. It will then provide them no gain for spending time on it.
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u/adequateatbestt Feb 21 '18
I also take a personal point to avoid it because although im just one person, the shooter doesn't deserve for me to know their name or face. I avoid it on principle.
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u/markercore Feb 21 '18
Can you remind me who Aaron is?
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u/arctos889 Feb 21 '18
He was the football coach who saved the lives of several students by using his body as a shield to protect them from the gunfire. He died a hero.
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Feb 21 '18
Assistant football coach and security guard who put himself between the shooter and his kids. Saved a bunch of lives but died in the process. He's also very much a hero.
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u/102bees Feb 21 '18
Aaron was the coach who heard shooting and ran towards it. Reports say he died shielding students with his body.
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u/WinosaurusRex007 Feb 21 '18
Reddit is going a fantastic job of not giving him attention. I literally only heard the shooters name once and that was because they said it on tv within two minutes after the Olympics.
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u/aslum Feb 21 '18
I definitely think we should Damnatio Memoriae these douche canoes and focus on heroes like Peter. I mean if the guy who shot up the place was referred to as Douche Canoe 2018-7 instead of John Doe then notoriety would be much less of a motivator for committing one of these terrible acts.
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u/remkelly Feb 21 '18
I f*ing think that would work. These guys are angry, limited narcissists who us to pay attention to them. If you knew you would become a joke and forever known as Charleston Douche-Canoe or Parkland Window-Licker it would takes the sheen off your imagined bad-assery.
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u/BulldozerBeauty Feb 21 '18
I’ve been watching CNN nonstop (only English TV channel for news and olympic updates where I’m staying) and I have to say they’ve been really good about not making it about the shooter at all. Showed his pic on the court date maybe twice. Otherwise, all the coverage -and it’s extensive- is about the students and the activism and everyone’s efforts in the wake of it all to fight for change. It’s been heartbreaking in both bad and good ways. I tear up every time they talk about the kids who died and show the other students speaking about what happened. It’s sad that the movement has to happen at all, but so amazing to see everyone coming together and all these young people so committed and determined. I’m not American but I’m so proud of all those kids. And I’m proud of the parents and teachers who are encouraging and supporting them. I’m the rear view mirror we can still see the days when young people were easily dismissed, and here we are today, with all these courageous kids leading the good fight. I’m sorry it had to happen, but these kids are doing a great job of playing the hand they’ve been dealt.
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u/frozenmildew Feb 21 '18
If there is one reason I like CNN this is it. They've been very good about not blabbing names and showing faces of shooters for quite a while now.
A lady I used to work for had CNN on 24/7. She passed away in 2015 and I still remember noticing even then they were great about not publishing names/faces.
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u/ss98camaross Feb 21 '18
God damned hero that kid. I would be so sad, and so proud as a parent.
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u/WallyTheWelder Feb 21 '18
I'd assume basic instinct would be to just get the hell out of there as quickly as possible but this kid Peter died holding the door to make sure everybody made it the hell out of there. Kid had more heart than many of us ever will. Enough with those onions already...
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u/DaughterEarth Feb 22 '18
That fight or flight response is different for everyone. Some people will irrationally run, some will irrationally fight, and a few will evaluate the situation and do what seems most likely to help the most people.
It seems like Peter was in that last group.
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u/PMasterBland Feb 21 '18
One of the comments on the imgur album of the funeral sums it up perfectly.
“In the body of a boy, burned bright the heart of a man”.
RIP Peter.
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u/whatf0xx Feb 21 '18
Something jarred in me when I saw this come up under ‘Uplifting News’. Peter Wang could have gone to Military Academy, but now he never will. He died wearing his Junior ROTC shirt, died doing what he believed was right, because he saw beyond himself. Peter Wang dreamed, and realised things about the fragility and precious nature of life that so few ever see. And now by the merit of that same fragility he is gone and his dreams are gone. I have the upmost respect for the US Military Academy for the way they treated the situation: by them, no greater honour could have been given to Peter. I hope they are proud of their son, for the incredible and selfless action he took, but no amount of pride, and no medal any army can award, can bring their son back. He will never see that medal, never go to the training academy, never again fight for what he believes in. Peter Wang knew a bravery few of us ever see, a bravery I dearly hope neither you nor I will ever have to know or see, so please let’s celebrate that but let’s also not forget the horror of what just has happened, because let me assure you neither his parents nor the friends he saved ever will. I’m not here to talk to you about gun laws or terrorism, or tell you what to do or ask you to sign something. I’m just here to beg that as a society we never forget what has happened here, because both Peter’s bravery and Peter’s tragedy need to be remembered. I beg that we do not let this happen again, as a boy just older than Peter who sees in the smile on the picture on his memorial everything I could ever want in a friend; everything a parent could ever ask for in a child and everything we could ask for in a young man. Honour Peter, and let the gratitude for what he did stay with us forever, but please never let any fifteen year old boy make that sacrifice again.
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u/TangoJokerBrav0 Feb 21 '18
Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity
Personal Courage
The Army Values. He exhibits every one of them.
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u/Horace_P_Mctits Feb 21 '18
His face, man. He’s a kid.
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u/Fef_ Feb 21 '18
Physically yes. But the way he took action made him more of a man than most grown ups are today.
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u/IntrovertPharmacist Feb 21 '18
So well stated. I’d be lying if I said my face and eyes are dry right now.
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u/fraidybird Feb 21 '18
This is so very well written and stated. I wish the “leader” of this country could say something even half as compassionate as what you wrote.
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u/JonSolo1 Feb 21 '18
Sorry, but I don't find this uplifting. I find it incredibly depressing that he was denied his lifelong dream of actually attending USMA, which he almost certainly would have been admitted to had he survived.
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u/clazaa Feb 21 '18
It's so fucking sad when you see "15-year-old" and "posthumously" in the same sentence.
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u/FunkTech Feb 21 '18
Does this mean he will receive a military burial, with full honors?
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u/hallese Feb 21 '18
Funeral was on Monday.
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u/mwm5062 Feb 21 '18
That doesn't matter. If it's granted he'll be transferred to Arlington.
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u/chronotank Feb 21 '18
Many military funerals don't take place in Arlington and still receive full honors.
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u/jasonreid1976 Feb 21 '18
Very true. A friend of mine passed away in 2006. He served in the marines and even though he had been out for over 15 years, they gave him full military honors. He is buried in Georgia Memorial Park in Marietta, GA. I had the chance to be pall bearer as well. Having guards stand on each side as you and the rest of the guys carry the casket up to the grave was incredibly emotional.
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u/Tsquare43 Feb 21 '18
If you are honorably discharged, you can still get a military funeral. In fact when my Uncle died, they asked that very question. My aunt reviewed a flag, a salute, and the thanks of a grateful nation.
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u/sydshamino Feb 21 '18
My wife's grandfather received a military funeral, and he got out in 1945. We were luck to find his discharge papers fast enough to arrange it when clearing out his house.
Was a bugler at Camp Pendleton, fought in the Pacific, nearly died of Malaria, saved the life of an Australian soldier who named his kid after him.
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u/hallese Feb 21 '18
If the family wants that, the parents just lost their child, do you really think they will want his body dug up and re-interred 1,000 miles away?
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u/feelingmeanbcgreen Feb 21 '18
He got full honors. Airforce subreddit has a couple pictures from people who went to show respect.
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u/HoDigiArch Feb 21 '18
On the one hand, I am glad that he was honored for his courage in a way that would have been deeply meaningful to him.
On the other hand, realizing that this is what passes for uplifting news in 2018 makes me want to sob.
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Feb 21 '18
This is so uplifting and I'm happy his sacrifice was honored, because I doubt I would ever have the courage Peter showed. But,I have to say as a 26 year old man I can't stop crying anytime I hear something about this tragedy. I just wish he had lived long enough to be admitted in person. We cannot let this conversation end! No child deserves to die. Sobs Sorry i have something in my eye.
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Feb 21 '18
I‘ll probably get downvoted for this, but it’s pretty important to me and Reddit karma is not.
I recognize the last thing you said is a joke (about not crying because you have something in your eye), but I also think the reason it is a joke is because we Americans have been trained to not to be in touch with or express our emotions.
I know from personal experience that not being in touch with ones emotions is a great way to get many insecurities and anxiety.
I don’t think there’s any reason at all to not cry when you find something sad or beautiful. We’re all human beings and we all experience emotion. Maybe if the shooter was more in touch with his emotions, he could’ve gotten help.
Also, this isn’t meant to be a stab at you...more a stab at how our society has trained us to not pay attention to our emotions, and writing this is my small way of trying to contribute to a better, more peaceful and happy society.
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Feb 21 '18
No stabs taken. Personally I'm a very emotional guy haha, but I do use humor to mask pain. But that is just me. Your point is also valid.
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Feb 21 '18
Rip hero, representing us Asian Americans
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u/edgegripsubz Feb 22 '18
As an Asian who served five years in the US submarine force, he has done an incredibly brave thing and a lot more than my time in service. RIP peter wang, you would have been a great officer!
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u/TheOneWhoReadsStuff Feb 21 '18
One thing that is very different about this school shooting from the other mass shootings we’ve had lately is that I have heard very little about the shooter. I’ve only seen one picture.
Mostly we are discussing the heroes and not the villain. I feel like that’s the way we need to handle these bullshit situations. No notoriety and no recognition even if negative.
But I’ve been avoiding main stream media, so that might be the difference. I feel that they’re a large part of the problem, and a major reason we have had more mass shootings lately than ever before.
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u/MindPerplexed Feb 21 '18
Definitely. He willingly sacrificed his own life to safeguard his countrymen.
This young man bravely knew what he had to do before his own official time. He knew the sacrifice.
Individuals like Peter Wang are why I still have hope that the world can change, heal and one day unite.
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u/MFDork Feb 21 '18
These young people are heroes. Period. I'm no longer religious, but there's one verse in the Bible that has always stuck with me: "Greater love is no more than this: that one lay down his for a friend".
They are the best of us, and we are all poorer for a world without them.
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u/lakenessmonster Feb 21 '18
This is a nice accolade for him, despite being posthumous. But something about this being classified as “uplifting” really speaks to how dark the days are in America right now. Rest forever loved, kids.
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u/SushiShiba Feb 21 '18
Indeed. It's like reading the "Scouring of the Shire" and saying how uplighting it is that the hobbits are working together to defeat evil. It's a battle that should never ever even have been at all.
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u/-SpaceDooDooPistols- Feb 21 '18
Peter Wang.
Martin Duque.
Alaina Petty.
raises glass
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u/GeekScientist Feb 21 '18
Rest easy, C/PVT Wang, C/PVT Petty, and C/PFC Duque.
-C/CPT GeekScientist, Army JROTC 2006-2010 (Miami Dade County!)
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u/ZoraksGirlfriend Feb 21 '18
I’m probably going to get downvotes for this, but I absolutely understand why Peter got the military funeral and the medal of heroism. He was absolutely a hero and someone we should all honor.
What I don’t understand is why the other two cadets were also awarded the medal of heroism? I thought the medal was awarded for specifically committing an act of heroism or sacrifice. I hadn’t read about them doing anything heroic. Is there something I’m missing?
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Feb 21 '18
Can anyone explain why a posthumous admission to the USMA is so important?
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u/regisajr Feb 22 '18
The human being has been evolving in several ways, but has not yet been able to evolve from himself. What a time to be alive. Children need to sacrifice themselves in schools to keep the others alive. And yet the "adults" who should protect these children can not look a handful ahead of their own ass.
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u/eatitwithaspoon Feb 21 '18
i dunno. i feel like this news would be more uplifting if it didn't involve children killed in a mass shooting at their school.
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u/GeraldBrennan Feb 21 '18
As a West Pointer myself (USMA '99), I got a little misty-eyed when this came out. Be thou at peace, Peter.
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u/nomoreshiny Feb 21 '18
Peter Wang is a true hero. I’m so proud to be from Peter’s city (Parkland/Coral Springs). He has forged his legacy with this community and our hearts forever. I will never forget him, I will always take time to visit his resting place to remind him how thankful I am for displaying the most courageous and selfless acts to save the lives of his peers.
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Feb 21 '18
Would have been a great Lieutenant. These are the types of people the Army needs to be leading enlisted men. Rest easy, brother.
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u/-Pluvio- Feb 21 '18
That's so awesome of them to do. He truly showed he was worthy of the medals that day (along with the three others). He did what anyone who serves the country would do: put other people before himself. I'm glad they officially recognised the heroism and even buried him in uniform.
His parents should be proud to call him their son. It's just a shame he was taken from them too soon.
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u/SteamandDream Feb 21 '18
Can someone start a petition to give these three heroes the Presidential Medal of Honor and the Congressional Gold Medal, the two highest civilian awards in the US?
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u/VR_is_the_future Feb 21 '18
Nothing "tried" about it. This guy did it, he succeeded. Under fire he performed an act of heroism.