Donald Surrett is a Hero!
Something happened that disturbed me deeply. Last week, 20 year old Ethan Blair Miller, 20, carrying an AR-15 and a shotgun, walked into a Safeway grocery store in Bend, Oregon and began shooting. On his way into the store he killed an 84 year old man, and just continued spraying bullets as he walked through the doors. This could have been another mass shooting with a dozen people killed, if not for the courageous act of a 66 year old Safeway employee who jumped into action and attacked the shooter with a produce knife, saving the lives of countless shoppers. Unfortunately the brave man who put his life on the line to save others lost his life in doing so.
Donald Surret, Jr. was one of two people killed before the shooter turned the gun on himself. He was a 20 year veteran of the Army. On the US Department of Agriculture website, where Don worked for the Forestry service for 6 years, they posted the following tribute to Don:
He was known for his kind heart, his love of the job, his attention to uniform, his dedication to care of his wife, his connection with church and the Band of Brothers, and his diligence with visitor compliance. When Don saw something that was out of line, he did not hesitate to act, no matter how large or small the transgression.
I know Don was a proud Army veteran and I believe we will hear more of his story as he is now thrust into the national spotlight, both mourned and justly celebrated as the heroic figure directly responsible for preventing further senseless murder of innocent citizens and Safeway team members.
Donald Ray Surrett Jr. did not hesitate to act and is credited with engaging the gunman and giving coworkers and customers time to flee for safety. He made the ultimate sacrifice in service to others.
All this is tragic and disturbing but it’s not the focus of this post. What’s disturbing me is the following:
For the past week news outlets have been recognizing that Don was a hero. They praised his bravery, his service to his country and his community. There was even talk about a suitable memorial. Until… someone dug into his past and discovered that Don was convicted of a sex offense 30 years ago.
Now people are calling into question the memorial or whether Don should be considered a Hero. A local newspaper even reached out to the Safeway store in which he worked to ask how he was able to be employed there.
It’s disgusting! Irrespective of what he did thirty-plus years ago, it’s clear that the man paid his debt to society and spent decades redeeming himself. No greater proof of his current benevolent character is the fact that he confronted an armed gunman to save people’s lives, and now you want to crap on his benefaction because of something he did 30 years ago? Is that really what you want? What lesson can be learned from this?
I’ll tell you… You’re going to shame Safeway over their hiring choice when, in fact, this was the best employee they ever had! What’s more important, an employee who can stack cans of tuna or an employee who will give his own life to protect your customers? Businesses should scramble to hire more employees like Don because the pool of over-qualified candidates on the registry who are so desperate for a menial job that they will do anything for it is abundant.
Here’s the other outcome of besmirching Don’s legacy. You are conditioning the nearly one million people on the registry in this country to not get involved. It’s not worth it! See a kid on the sidewalk having a seizure, cross the street. That’s what we’re conditioned to do because with this label, even the best deed or the greatest sacrifice one can make will never overcome the stigma. It’s time to end this label.
Don Surrett was no threat to public safety. Don Surrett WAS public safety.
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I knew it was just a matter of time before something like this happened. I’ve been going over in my mind if I was in a situation like this should I get involved to save others or just walk away knowing the spotlight would not be on the good I’d done but on what I was accused of over 25 yrs. Ago. And the harm that it would bring to my family.
Me personally, I’m walking away. Let’s say you do intervene and you happen to survive. Now you’ve become infamous. The media will spread your name across the news as if you just committed a sex offense that day. Completely reliving all that over again.
Tim, I understand your perspective completely. Although I’d like to believe that my better angels would prevail, I might hesitate or walk away. Registrants are defined by their worst action, not their best nor even the bulk of a life well lived. It is truly a shame on many levels.
At the end of the day, I can’t allow people to lord over me being on the registry. What is more important is the decision as to how I choose to live the remainder of my life. I cannot say that I would be willing to sacrifice my life for others just as easily as I could save my own life. However, I will not let being on the registry be the dominant control my life
You never outlive or outrun the stigma of being labeled a sex offender. I can’t imagine the grief and humiliation this man would have had to live with had he survived. He would have realized he risked his life for the humiliation the public heaped on him and I am willing to bet the public would questioned his heroism in life just as much as they have in death. The people that were in that store need to stand strong for the actions of the man that at the price of his life, bought them the time they needed to escape. As for the others, shame on them. This man was a model citizen and they should consider what others might say once they have passed into eternity.
For a good view on a similar story of crime and redemption, watch Les Miserables with Liam Nieson.
Great article. Maybe his sacrifice will open some eyes. People are not defined by their worst moment. May Don Surrett rest in peace.
Well said, well said!!
Some in media have no shame. It’s about selling their product, not journalism. It is naturally obvious to ANYONE else, specifically anyone not trying to capitalize on a man’s heroic death, that this man died a HERO. People are messed up and will do anything for a dollar, including putting others’ lives at risk. This is nothing new and not surprising.
Anything less than a resounding proclamation that this man was a hero is disingenuous. And we KNOW that people judging a hero like this would NEVER sacrifice themself for anyone else. Shame them and move on, they don’t deserve any attention beyond that.
Greater love hath no man than this. That a man lay down his life for his friends. But verily verily I say unto you. A man Who doth lay down his life for Complete strangers is probably art sex offender. Isn’t that what Jesus said?
According to the mayor, a plaque could re-victimize survivors by displaying his name.
The mayor actually says that.
Actually, the mayor said POTENTIALLY traumatize survivors. Survivors from 25 years ago, and likely nowhere near Bend, Oregon (there are no active duty Army posts in Oregon). And that, of course, that presumes that the minor was not a willing participant in whatever the man was convicted for.
That a minor cannot legally consent to sex doesn’t change that teenagers have very high sex drives – that’s simply nature. I’m not suggesting adult-teen sex shouldn’t be criminal, just that the criminal justice system regarding it is absurd on so many levels.
Back to the subject at hand, I would tell those that oppose anything to commemorate Surrett based solely on his previous sex charges should be confronted in that they apparently would have preferred he was never hired at that store and consequently had more people killed at that shooting.