Milwaukee Mayor "Ain't No Cream Puff"

This is a story of true heroism and an example of how a person in a position of power leads by example.

The Mayor of Milwaukee was assaulted while leaving the Wisconsin State fair. The Mayor and his family heard a woman who was in distress. It turned out she was being accosted by her daughters ex boyfriend who was intoxicated. Upon seeing the Mayor and his family he charged at them with a metal baton in his hand. The Mayor struggled with the dangerous man until the police sirens could be heard and then the suspect ran away, later to be caught.

The Mayor suffered lacerations to his head and face and a broken hand which may never fully recover from the trauma.

While it is never suggested that anyone enter into an altercation with another person,especially one under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the Mayor made the right judgement call in calling 911 before approaching the situation and once the suspect had turned his attention to the Mayor, the Mayor was protecting the woman, her grandchild and his own family.

The point I am trying to make here, and am doing a poor job at it, but when you see a fellow person in trouble don't do nothing, do something. Call 911, try to get the person in danger to safety.

I had an opportunity to do such a thing several years ago back in Connecticut. I was driving through Greenville (and any of my CT peeps know how seedy that area is) and a guy was punching a women in her face at the gas station. Men, BIG men were standing there watching this atrocity go on. I made a u turn and went back honking my horn and I drove right up to the guy. I got out and could hear the sirens coming and I was screaming at him to let her go. He was so confused fromm all the noise he was easliy apprehended when the cops arrived.

I will be the first to admit when I was younger I definately did not think before acting and had the cops not been hot on their way I probably would have jumped the guy. After all I was taking karate. However too many people these days do nothing... nothing at all when another person is in trouble. We can make a difference in just one life and it will pay itself forward.

Mahatma Ghandi once said "Be the change you want to see in the world" I often hope I am doing enough to leave my mark. In this case, Mayor Tom Barrett made that difference to one woman and her grandchild.

His town made up t-shirts to show their pride in their mayor. The slogan simply reads "Our mayor ain't no cream puff"

Here's a heartfelt thank you to this mayor for making a differnce and setting the tone for people to help one another.

Good JOB!