Putnam County men demonstrate neighbors take care of neighbors

We received another reminder this week of the sort of people who live among us. It’s always good to see, because the news once again serves as proof of people’s goodness.Bruce Vermulle and Aaron Osting are the most recent example. The men on Wednesday morning helped an 80-year-old escape a house fire in southwestern Putnam County. While driving, they saw smoke and decided to see what was up. They got to a home on Road U but saw no one outside, so they started beating on windows, Vermulle told The Lima News.They ended up helping Ronald E. Young climb through a window he had thrown a fan through to break. Flames and smoke blocked Young from using the door. The good deeds don’t end there. Vermulle went back to his own home to get slippers, a coat and a shirt for Young.Vermulle told The Lima News they were in the right place at the right time. Young saw it somewhat differently: “They’re heroes,” he said.We use this space to argue that many things aren’t government’s proper place. Not only aren’t these things the proper role for government, but, in most cases, people seeing a need will step up to meet that need. Once again, the people of this part of the state have demonstrated neighbors do help neighbors.