9 However, while many people honor Sgt. Russell, some people raise this question when they try to make sense of a tragedy like Sgt. Russell's: "Some first responders do not succeed in helping others and they get injured or die in their efforts. Do these people become heroes because of what happens to them as they try to help others — instead of what they actually make happen?" 10 I asked road safety advocate Eleanor McMahon whether she thought Sgt. Russell was a hero. Ms. McMahon's late husband, a police officer, was killed by a drunk truck driver in a 2006 off-duty bicycling accident. Through grief and rage, Ms. McMahon founded Share the Road, a cycling association, and worked tirelessly until the government established "Greg's Law", legislation that gave authority to police to immediately seize the automobiles of drunk drivers caught on the road. 11 Ms. McMahon replied that she thought Sgt. Russell was indeed a hero. "Just imagine, in the middle of an intense snowstorm this policeman thinks: I've got to stop this snowplow before it hurts others." Ms. McMahon summed up why she considered many police officers to be heroes: "It's natural to be afraid of danger. It's natural for that fear to cause most people to rush toward safety and away from danger. Heroes do just the opposite. They rush toward danger to help those in need." 12 We count on first responders to rush toward danger, especially when it involves us or those we love. We expect nothing less. So when one of them dies doing that, we should recognize the heroic action even though we may doubt our own capacity to be heroic ourselves. 1. Write down the question. (Para. 9)______________________________________________________________ 2. Write down the example. (Paras. 10-11)________________________________________________________ 3. Write down the conclusion. (Para. 12)___________________________________________________________