About Heroes
The modern American society has set a new definition for the term hero. This redefinition changes the original understanding of heroes as individuals with qualities worth emulating. The past definition of heroes ranked them as role models whom the society looked upon for guidance and in some societies they were mythical. The mythical side of the heroes made them as a source of admiration as they worked for the good of the society leading to their being praised and respected. This has since changed as the western society redefines the meaning of hero and going as far as according medals to some groups of undeserving individuals. There is a new trend of according disaster victims heroic statuses since the December 11 attacks and that diminishes the ranking of heroes. The modern hero has no duty for being extra ordinary. They are just victims and that accords them the chance for being cherished and respected.
It is not necessary to be sympathetic to disaster victims, but it is inappropriate to accord them respectful positions, which they do not deserve. Other than civilian victims, the police and firefighters receive heroic praises regardless of the fact that all they do is always in line with their call of duty. These are their jobs and they sign up knowing that they have the responsibility of putting their lives in line for the safety of the public. After all, there are occupations with even harsher conditions like fishing and construction performed without any protection to the capacity of what police have. If the modern society should accord victims and victim rescuers the title of heroism, they should consider activists like Michael Jordan who spend much of their time rescuing young birds from poisonous chemicals exposed to them by inconsiderate companies.
Thompson, Nicholas. Hero Inflation, When we put every victim of tragedy on a pedestal, what are we looking up to?. New America Foundation. 2002. Retrieved from: http://newamerica.net/node/6949. February 3, 2013.
This article focuses on the presentation of those involeved in the September 11 tragedy as heroes. It questions the relevance of acclaiming all the fatalities of the tragedy as heroes based on sympathy for their tragic and untimely death. However, the author feels that the deaths did not occur in a accordance to previous understanding of heroic deaths. It appreciates the honoring of those who die tragically, those who serve America and even those who live in America. However, this should not be in line with being heroic, as that requires a capacity for being a role model in the society. The author finds it unacceptable that there has been an evolution to the term ’hero ‘ to those respected like Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. other than the initial meaning attributing it to those who performed extraordinary deeds and lived as half men and half gods such as Odysseus and Hercules. Heroism according to this article goes beyond brevity because and requires qualities like success and ingenuity with a new classification of victimhood coming up.
Wise, Tim. Selling the Police: Reflections on Heroism and Hype. February 6, 2002. Retrieved from: http://www.timwise.org/2002/02/selling-the-police-reflections-on heroism-and-hype/. February 3, 2013
This article focuses on police heroism referring to the extra efforts played by police in times of disasters. It also makes incites on eminent racism and sexism in police branches such as NYPD with the attributions of being a police being a tough job and creating the heroic attitude whenever they do an extraordinary thing. It raises the limitations of the creation of the heroic cop concept in the public mind because the work taken by the police is what they train to do and it requires that they put their lives in line of duty.
O’Neill, Branden. Was every Ground Zero victim a hero? 18 January 2002. Retrieved from: http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000002D3BD.htm. February 3, 2013
This article explores the challenges faced by the American society following the redefinition of heroism. The American society is trying to make victims heroes in an attempt to reconcile the inhuman act by honoring firefighters and police with medals. It raises issues on the lack of significant heroic figures since most public people to reckon with have multiple integrity issues that the left people are ordinary persons. There have been wrangles in the presentation of heroes and issues of political incorrectness arising with concerns of the overly white composed firefighting department. The issue of representation of heroic statues, created to depict inclusion in modern heroism raises issues of failure and inflicts concerns. Victims need compassion but there is nothing admirable in their lives than those left behind should emulate.
The Warriors of Qiugang: A Chinese Village Fights Back. Environment 360, Opinion, Analysis, reporting & Debate. 10 January 2011. Retrieved from: ttp://e360.yale.edu/feature/the_warriors_of_qiugang_a_chinese_village_fights_bac 2358/. February 3, 2013
This article reviews the suffering of the people in Quigang village because of industrial pollution. The factories with disregard to pollution controls poured pesticides, dyes and chemicals to the neighborhood river, killing animals, fish and wildlife. This led to the concern of residents leading to environmental sensitization and eventually to the efforts of filmmaker Ruby Yang who decided to chronicle the struggle of the society. This activist action leads to the consideration of the main character Zang for letting the community realize the power they have in seeking responsibility from the irresponsible factories.
Working under the call of duty is not sufficient for the determination of heroes. This leaves people to only stretch slightly beyond their usual mark and receive accolades and medals for heroism and it adulterated the original meaning of a hero. To be a hero, one needs ingenuity above brevity. However, the police and firefighters are not to be utterly regarded as heroes because they do the duties they trained for and even when they die, it is because of the line of work they chose (Thompson). These together with attack victims deserve sympathy and grief but it is not appropriate to accord them state heroic statuses. It is understandable that the notion is at time in regard for creation of diverse opinions but it has been a costly venture that the American economics does not require. The victims do not suit the position of role models and that lowers the placement of heroes. In addition, it is even more expensive when those taking after them demand too much attention (Wise).
The training given to police allows them to operate safely and that is responsible for the low fatality rate in the forces as compared to other occupations such as gardening, construction, garbage collecting and fishing. Creating heroic stances about the police force reduces the chances for identifying and correcting the flaws of injustices in the system. It is the justification for profiling within justice systems with beliefs of some ethnic groups being prone to crime while there is obvious protection of other communities. This leads to the disproportionate questioning, harassment and frisking of blacks and undue incrimination of people because of their skin color. Such attitudes in the police force are reason enough for withholding the heroic accolades to officers due to lack of equitable practice. The police are mere public servants and should not take high positions before they can even deal with profiling and criminalization of innocent people. It is not necessary to focus on the endurance of people to make them heroes. Instead, heroism has been a fact of achievement erodes the western understanding of heroism (O’Neill).
In conclusion, there are a number of other people deserving the heroic regard of if it is all about performing extraordinary acts (Monahan148). There are occasions when people perform extra ordinary acts such as in the activist world where people must force credibility out of the government or industries. These people can take the heroic title because as much they are performing these duties, they are still proactive in changing their communities (Environment 360). The producer of the e360 video deserves a heroic representation because he worked towards highlighting the plights of people under the oppression of polluting factories. At the same time, the movie Midway directed by Chris Jordan is a stance to qualify him for the position of a hero.
He is doing something extra ordinary as much as it is along his line of duty. The stance is that he is rescuing chicks facing multiple problems. His art connects the viewers with the unconscious horrors of the community regarding the choices people make. If the police and firefighters deserve being heroes on the mere effort they make in rescuing tragedy victims, it is necessary to honor Chris Jordan in his rescue mission for the tragedy facing the environment. Thousands of albatross die in the remote islands following the pollution on the pacific and that horror and grief faced by the helpless birds is a tragedy that juxtaposes the beauty of life and the horror of death faced by the birds. His work is transformational as it reaches out to the hearts of viewers and produces love and reverence for the necessary concern towards the environment.
Works Cited
Environment 360. The Warriors of Qiugang: A Chinese Village Fights Back., Opinion, Analysis, reporting & Debate. 10 January 2011. Retrieved from: February 3, 2013
Monahan, Brian A. The Shock of the News: Media Coverage and the Making of 9/11. New York: New York University Press. (2010): 148. Print.
O’Neill, Branden. Was every Ground Zero victim a hero? 18 January 2002. Retrieved from: http://www.spiked-online.com/Articles/00000002D3BD.htm. February 3, 2013
Thompson, Nicholas. Hero Inflation, When we put every victim of tragedy on a pedestal, what are we looking up to?. New America Foundation. 2002. Retrieved from: http://newamerica.net/node/6949. February 3, 2013.
Wise, Tim. Selling the Police: Reflections on Heroism and Hype. February 6, 2002. Retrieved from: http://www.timwise.org/2002/02/selling-the-police-reflections-on heroism-and-hype/. February 3, 2013
