Charles Ramsey is still a hero. His own domestic violence record doesn't negate what he did to free [View all]

[DonViejo]

Charles Ramsey is still a hero

His own domestic violence record doesn't negate what he did to free Amanda Berry. It makes it more remarkable

BY JOAN WALSH

In hindsight, maybe Charles Ramsey was trying to tell us something when he insisted to Anderson Cooper Tuesday night that he’s not a hero. “No, no, no. Bro, I’m a Christian, an American. I’m just like you,” he told the news anchor.

Maybe he knew the whole hero story line would come with an unhappy ending: Now we’ve learned, via the Smoking Gun, that Ramsey was charged with and served time for multiple domestic violence counts. He was also convicted and imprisoned on drug charges and receiving stolen property.

All of that is awful, particularly for his ex-wife and daughter. But it doesn’t change the fact that Ramsey was a hero when he helped Amanda Berry escape Monday night. It may make him even more admirable, if he had an inkling that his sudden fame might expose his troubled past.

Writing my piece about Cleveland’s lost girls, I watched Ramsey’s interview with Cooper twice just before the news about his past convictions broke. Even without that information, I found the encounter a little strange. For one thing, Ramsey insisted on saying Ariel Castro was “cool,” and not a “freak of nature.” He seemed to be reminding us that even monsters can appear decent, and even decent people can do bad things.

full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/05/08/charles_ramsey_is_still_a_hero/