What Real Americans Really Are

Photo gallery of West, TX memorial. Sorry, President Obama, these men and women who volunteer to run towards danger are professionals. Unpaid, but professional nonetheless. We are a species apart: we ask for no rewards, no accolades, no media time when we sacrifice money, time, blood, sweat, tears, and sometimes flesh, to help our fellow man. We face tragedy as a normal course of business, not an exploit to further personal goals. We do this for free, because it needs to be done, since government would rather shirk that responsibility and give our tax dollars to those who didn't work to earn it. (I could provide many links to articles about budget cuts and working brownouts, and find none concerning social welfare cuts.)
Two of those killed weren't even firefighters: they were bystanders who couldn't just stand and watch as their neighbor needed help. That's a real American.