Wayne Allyn Root has been a sports handicapper, broadcaster, libertarian political candidate, and author of a book bashing Obamacare; he's also delighted the wingnuttosphere by arguing that his Columbia classmate Barack Obama never really attended the school or attended on a scholarship intended for foreign students. In addition, he writes the occasional bit of commentary for the Fox News Web site.
According to his latest essay, we ought to reserve some of the respect we have for police officers and firefighters who deal with emergency situations and extend it to "financial first responders":
... Fireman are heroes because they run into burning buildings. Policeman are heroes because they run towards the sound of gunshots. That's why they are called First Responders. Where would we be in a crisis without these heroes?If I were an actual first responder and I'd faced a real life-or-death situation, especially an extremely dangerous mass-casualty event like 9/11 in which fellow first responders actually died, I'd want to punch Mr. Root in the mouth for writing this. But hey, that's just me.
But our economy relies on heroes, too. I call these heroes "Financial First Responders."
They are the business owners, investors, job creators, and taxpayers. They risk their financial lives, just as policeman and fireman risk their bodies.
They run towards crisis, just like our First Responders.
They are willing to risk their life savings on nothing but a business idea.
Amazing! They even risk their money in the midst of an economic crisis. That takes guts.
Like fireman and policeman, who risk their lives selflessly for others, the Financial First Responders risk their money to create jobs, to provide a better life for their employees, and to provide products that consumers need at a price they can afford.
Their courageous risk-taking is what fuels the entire U.S. economy...
Yet while government praises traditional "First Responders" like firemen and policeman, Obama and his socialist cabal demonize, denigrate, and disrespect Financial First Responders.
For our courage and heroic risk-taking we get kicked in the gut....
I am a fellow Columbia graduate. Mr. Root has argued that President Obama's educational achievements at Columbia were substandard -- which is rich coming from a Columbia alum who doesn't even know the plural form of "fireman" or "policeman."
Now, I hope I haven't hurt Mr. Root's feelings with what I've written here. But I suspect his ego can handle it:
