Seconds Out For John Smeaton
THE tabloids want a hero. They get John Smeaton. Read about his exploits in John Smeaton Packs A Punch In Glasgow.
John took on the terrorists. And won. Now “brave” airport worker John Smeaton does the heroic thing and insists: “I’m no hero.”
He tells the Sun: “I was only one of a number of people who went to the assistance of the police dealing with the incident.
“I do not regard myself as a hero as I was only doing what other people may have done in similar circumstances.”
And he’d do it again? Well, when he gets back to work, he might. John is off work sick. He is “stressed-out”.
“I don’t know how I feel. It’s been mad,” he says.
“I’m just trying to get on with my life and I’ll probably be back at work in a week or so. To the many, many people who have sent messages of support and their good wishes, I send in return my heartfelt thanks at their generosity.
“These messages are very important to me, much appreciated and will be remembered by me for the rest of my life.”
He’d like to be left alone. No fuss. As his mum Catherine tells us: “All the talk of being a hero is depressing him and he finds it hard to cope. John is flattered by all the things people are saying, but he feels everything has got out of hand.
“He was only doing what other people that day did, which was help the police. When he gave all those television interviews afterwards he was still high from the adrenaline of what happened.
Says his dad Iain: “Well, now he has the lows. We don’t want to appear ungrateful to all the people who have written and said such nice things about John. But he would just like to get back to his normal life now.
They are all so modest. Heroic. The Sun can see where John gets it from.
And it hears the message. The hidden one. As it trills: Yesterday, we launched a campaign to have John and the other heroes of the airport attack officially honoured:
“The Scottish Sun wants our Glasgow airport heroes honoured for their actions. Men like John Smeaton, Michael Kerr and Stephen Clarkson helped the police stop the crazed terrorists in their tracks during Saturday afternoon’s attack. Now we want them officially recognised for their outstanding bravery. By signing our online petition today – you can add your name to our campaign. We’ll make sure our political leaders listen and award the trio the gongs they so richly deserve.”
Let’s get John back on stage. Let’s make him a hero, the working-class boy who did down the white collar bombers.
We’re watching you john as you lay on your sick bed, nerves frayed like an NHS doctor’s charred skin. You’ll be back at work soon enough. We’re counting the days. Only don’t take too long, John, the Sun wouldn’t want to think you’re shirking.
We urge you to get tune with that other great hero of the skies, Douglas Bader. Reach for the skies, John. The press will take you up. And drop you down with a bump…
Posted: 5th, July 2007 | In: Tabloids Comments (5) | TrackBack | Permalink
