America is a nation of "heroes." There are tens of thousands of them. Television news readers and commentators often refer to all military personnel, law enforcement officers, and firefighters as heroes. Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, even grocery store cashiers have been referred to as heroes. There are, of course, true war heroes, brave cops, heroic firefighters and health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus battle. But all of them? If everybody is a hero, then no one is. In the fields of education, literature, science, business, law, and journalism, there are real heroes, too, but we seldom hear of them. I guess there are even political heroes, but at the moment, none come to mind. If there is one segment of American society where there are no heroes and a lot of heels, it is the media.
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Why can't everyone be a hero? Is there a numerical limit to heros?
ReplyDeleteWhile anyone can perform an act of heroism, few, for various reasons, do.
ReplyDeleteWhen a dad takes a sliver out of his child's finger, he is a hero to that child, even if at work his boss thinks he's a jerk. It's about perception.
ReplyDeleteAudie Murphy was a hero, Neil Armstrong was a hero. I served in the U.S. Army in the late 70s in Germany for three years. I served honorably and faithfully, but there was nothing extraordinary about my service. I am not a hero.
ReplyDeleteYes, but thank you for your service. It takes a lot more than heroes to make a country great.
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