Every day, countless acts of manliness go uncelebrated. Unfortunately, we can’t chronicle all of them, but when we see one, we’ll highlight it here, in our hall of heroes. Obviously, we don’t get a chance to interview all the people we highlight, so we can’t vouch for every aspect of their lives. For all we know, these guys are dirtbags most of the time. But in this moment, they represent something good and noteworthy about manhood.
Today’s Hero is: Newark, NJ, Mayor Cory Booker.
Get Some!
I first heard about Mayor Cory Booker on Conan Obrien’s show. Conan and Mayor Booker had a just-for-fun feud where each issued escalating retribution to the other. Conan was ultimately banned from New Jersey and, I think, Mayor Booker was forbidden from entering California. Well, here, just watch the hilarity for yourself:
- Booker bans Conan from Newark Airport:
- He escalates and bans him from all of New Jersey and all Newark’s sister cities around the globe:
- The final salvo before the eventual face off is an attempt at reconciliation:
Eventually he went on Conan’s show and they had a good time and concluded the feud well. It was good fun.
I don’t know anything about Mayor Booker’s politics. He’s a New Jersey Democrat so I’m relatively sure we wouldn’t see eye to eye on many things, but from what I have seen, he’s a good leader and if he’s done what he claims he has, then he gets good results for his city. I tended to think I’d like the guy.
After reading this story, I’m certain I like him.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker was treated and released from a hospital after suffering smoke inhalation and second-degree burns on his hands when he rescued his neighbor from a fire at her home Thursday night.
With a bandage around the thumb and first finger of his right hand, Booker described the daring rescue as a “come to Jesus moment.” Speaking on “CBS This Morning” Friday, he described how he ran through flames to help get the woman out.
Booker says he grabbed her out of her bed and threw her over his shoulder and ran, but then feared they wouldn’t get out of the kitchen. Booker says he “punched through the flames,” adding that it “a very scary thing” to look back and see nothing but flames and to look ahead and see blackness.
Mayor Booker is a man. Men run into burning buildings to save the lives of others. Men abandon their own safety, at great risk to themselves, willing to sacrifice dearly to protect others. There will be some voices who call this a foolish act. They will say he should’ve waited for professionals or that he should have thought about those who would be affected if he had died.
Thankfully, Mayor Booker wasn’t listening to those selfish, cowardly voices. Instead, he heard the call of manhood – that call to move forward when everything around you is screaming at you to retreat – and because he did, a young woman’s life was saved.
Thank you, Mayor Booker, for representing the valiant self-sacrifice that ought to far more commonplace than it is.
