I have had the honor (but not the pleasure) to honor a number of fallen heroes in my blog, most of them police officers or firefighters. But today I would like to join many others throughout the nation who are honoring a young lady from Newtown, Connecticut, a teacher. Not just any teacher, but one who loved her children so much that, knowing what her fate would be, placed herself as a shield between the Newtown killer and her young students. For this, Vicki Soto deserves our highest honor and respect.
If you are like me, you had never heard of Vicki Soto until later on into the coverage of the Sandy Hook massacre. I mean, Miss Soto was not known to you and me. She was not a famous person, not a nationally recognized figure. Maybe she was not even known very widely in her state, perhaps not known by very many outside the town of Newtown. Miss Soto was just an ordinary teacher. I think it is the fact that she is an ordinary teacher that makes her the hero. But on a most extraordinary day.
For reasons known only to the Creator, December 14th was the day a certain lunatic chose to unleash his hatred on the rest of the world. Miss Soto left her home and family as usual that day. She parked her car and walked into her classroom that day, the same as she had done since early September, and for the past five years before. She started her class the same as she did everyday. But then all hell broke loose. As the gunfire started, then drew nearer to her classroom, Vicki Soto seemingly had only one goal on her mind: Save her kids!
According to what has been learned from the investigation, Miss Soto stood at the door to her classroom and waited for the gunman. When the killer tried to get in, Vicki stood her ground and shielded the little children from harm, as best she could. She stood alone and unarmed against the gunman, hoping with all her heart and strength to save her children. Ultimately her action cost her
her life, but all her children were spared. I could not help but be reminded of the following words from the Good Book:
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
These words are from Vicki's neighbor, George Henderson, a man whom she had helped when he was injured and could not shovel the snow off his sidewalk:
“I want to get this out there,” he said. “Instead of her just being a statistic or number on a piece of paper, I want people to know Vicki’s story and put a face behind what she did for those kids.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/newtown-teacher-vicki-soto-remembered-article-1.1221004#ixzz2FYV4OeYB
So today I am proud to honor this ordinary person, this school teacher, who gave her life for the lives of those children entrusted to her by their parents. Not a cop, not a firefighter, just an ordinary lady on a very tragic and extraordinary day. It was a day that called for heroes, and Vicki Soto answered that call. She is there now in the hands of the Good Shepherd. But here, on this dark plane where we live, she will from now on be known as a hero that saved the lives of so many precious children. May God comfort her family and all of those affected by this tragedy.
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