What is a Hero?

What is a hero? In today’s society, you’ll likely find a different answer to this question for each person you ask. (My 4 year old) Corey’s answer is, “It’s a guy who saves people.” When I asked him if he could name some heroes, he didn’t answer, so I asked him if specific professions were heroes. I asked him if football players were heroes and he answered “no.” I asked him about basketball players and once again, his answer was, “no.” I asked him about soldiers and his answer was, “yes! My daddy is a hero!” Then I asked him if Superman was a hero, and his answer was, “yes.”

I think we can all agree that comic book characters with special powers that they use to save the world in every situation could be considered heroes of a fictitious variety. But who are the real life heroes? The media has lauded Jason Collins as a hero for being the first openly gay professional athlete. Collins even received a phone call from President Obama to congratulate him on his bravery for “coming out”. Then there’s Michael Sam who declared that he was gay to the sports world shortly before the NFL draft and then became the first openly gay athlete to be drafted to a professional sports team. Does declaring one’s sexual preference make him/her a hero? I personally don’t think so. If so, let me declare that I am straight and I’ll proudly post a picture of myself kissing Justin. That doesn’t make me a hero. To be fair, let me swing to the right side and ask, does Tim Tebow’s open declarations regarding his faith make him a hero? I don’t think it does. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Tim Tebow fan since his days playing for University of Florida. I respect the stand he makes for God, and if I had to pick a professional athlete to point to my son as someone to look up to and have as a role model, I’d pick Tebow, BUT a role model is very different from a hero.

Some might say that President Obama is a hero because he is the first African American president of the United States. I would disagree. The position of President of the United States is to be respected regardless of skin color. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” I personal agree. A person should not be judged, whether for good or bad, by the color of their skin. I will not call someone a hero because his skin is darker than mine. I will also not call someone a hero because his skin is similar to mine. Skin color does not define a person, so I will not use it as a criterion to determine hero status or criminal status. There are good and bad people of all skin colors. The same could be said of gender. Being a woman in a male dominated field doesn’t make her a hero. Being a woman doesn’t make her any better or worse of a person than a man.

Being the first to do something doesn’t make one a hero either. It’s the action itself that is the determining factor. Is being gay a heroic thing? No. Is being a Christian a heroic thing? No. Is being a professional athlete a heroic thing? No. Is being the President a heroic thing? No. Is being a woman a heroic thing? No. It’s what people in those (and other) categories DO that can be deemed as heroic, not a single aspect of who they are. I think it’s an insult to true heroes to say otherwise. And no, I’m not talking about the type that fly around wearing capes.

If you want to see true heroes, go to a homecoming ceremony at your closest military post/base. I guarantee you’ll see a field or gymnasium full of them. Some may have done more heroic deeds than others, but all of them made sacrifices for the good of our country. Visit your local police precinct or fire station. These men and women don’t just work 9-5 and then clock out. They have people working around the clock to keep us safe. Most can’t just leave their work at the office. They are on call in case of trouble. Go to a hospital and you’ll see doctors and nurses who through medical advancements save lives daily – especially those in military field hospitals and emergency rooms where they see some of the worst injuries and are the first to treat them. And speaking of hospitals, come to Walter Reed. You can’t go very far without seeing heroes. They arrive here with broken bodies on top of the everyday sacrifices they have made serving in the military, but most don’t let that keep them down. Watch them in physical therapy struggling to find their “new normal”. Their perseverance and drive is amazing to watch. What many would see as a disability, they see as a challenge to overcome. And they have an amazing support system of family members, friends, therapists, and non-profits to help find creative ways to work around their physical limitations. To find another group of heroes, visit a military cemetery like Arlington. These heroes will not be able to tell you their stories. They are the ones that paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. I’m sure I left some people out, but you get my point. Heroism isn’t what is done on a sports field or court. It’s definitely not what’s done in the bedroom and with whom it’s being done. It isn’t words said from behind a microphone. It’s actions done by people who make sacrifices, save people’s lives, protect, and serve.