The end of the world isn’t so bad
January 22, 2026 6:21 PM
With all the talk of the end of the world and 2012 recently hitting a new fever pitch, due to the recent rash of terrible, tragic, and odd events occurring, some have begun to wonder if these doomsday predictions may actually be true.
Whether they are or not, the silver lining through it all is that so far in 2011, we have seen some of the best of humanity, which in many cases has outshone the bad.
For starters, we can observe the many acts of heroism that occurred after the shooting in Tuscon, Arizona at the hands of Jared Loughner, involving congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The story of Dorwan Stoddard is one of the most touching. The 77 year old man and his wife Mavi were attending the Congress on Your Corner event together when Loughner opened fire. Witness accounts report that Stoddard dived in front of his wife, taking a bullet through his back in the process. He died in hospital of his injuries.
This act of love and self-sacrifice was something that friends say was typical of his personality. He was eulogized at his funeral by many friends. All observed that Stoddard would have done anything for his high school sweetheart and that they would expect nothing less from him.
Heroism was also shown by retired Army Col. Bill Badger. He risked his own life by tackling the gunman down as he attempted to reload his gun.
Heroes have also been found of late in the terrible mudslides that have killed over 600 people in Brazil. Rescue workers have been very daring in their attempts to save people from the broken rubble of buildings.
There was a particular rescue that was caught by television cameras which captivated the nation and brought it hope. A 53 year old woman was being swept away by the river of mud when a brave neighbour threw her a rope to grab on to. The rope reached her, but she soon disappeared under the mud. Just when all appeared to be lost, she resurfaced, and the neighbours were able to quickly to pull her to safety, saving her life. “I thought I was going to die,” she told local reporters.
Then there were the selfless heroes of the terrible flooding throughout Australia, and the act of one young boy who I dedicate this article to. Thirteen year old Jordan Rice, his ten year old brother Blake, and his mother Donna, were trapped on top of an overturned car as rushing flood waters surrounded them, threatening to wash them away at any moment.
Rescue worker Warren McErlean reached the family, as a debate ensued about who should be rescued first. Jordan was insistent that his brother Blake should be taken first, as he wanted to be sure he was safe, and knew he was terrified. He made this decision knowing full well, as McErlean would later find out, that he could not swim.
Before workers had a chance to return for Jordan and Donna, they were swept away off the car, but were remarkably able to grab onto a nearby tree. Tragically, the current continued to get stronger and soon Jordan could hold on no longer and was pulled under. His mother Donna, let go of the tree to try and save him, however she also drowned. Their bodies were found later.
Thanks to Jordan, his younger brother is alive and has provided a saddened nation with a true hero. His father John said he was a very shy modest boy, but is happy that he is finally getting the attention he has always deserved.
So a huge thank you goes out to Jordan wherever you are. Your selflessness has proved truly inspirational to millions, and brought back many people’s faith in society. Even if the world does somehow come to an end, I can take comfort that there are still heroes like you out there. May you rest in peace.