Letter: Shine a spotlight on our quieter heroes
President Barack Obama presents mathematician and computer scientist Margaret Hamilton with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, during a ceremony honoring 21 recipients, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Nov. 22, 2016. Credit: AFP / Getty Images / Nicholas Kamm
The cult of celebrity struck again in your choice of photos to run with the Nov. 23 news story “21 Freedom medals awarded by Obama.”
There were photos of two athletes, a comedian, three actors and a singer. Why didn’t you show us Richard Garwin, the physicist who made pioneering contributions to the nation’s defense? Where was a picture of Margaret Hamilton, a mathematician and computer scientist, and Newton Minow, the former Federal Communications Commission chairman devoted to numerous public and charitable causes.
How about Eduardo Padron, president of Miami Dade College? All of these people received medals that night.
Yes, let’s honor our artists, entertainers and athletes, but let’s also show people who work quietly in the labs and classrooms and through public service to make this world a better place.
Lyn Dobrin, Westbury
