heroic choices?

 Everyone and no one. That is the state of heroes these days. It is something I was thinking about the other day. All of our old heroes now have tarnished reputations. Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, all the southern men that were confederate soldiers are nothing more than traitors and vile people. So much so their monuments and memorials offend the general public. All those capitalists of the past that formed the economy of a growing nation were nothing but "robber barons" and are to be despised. Indeed, the entire white race have done nothing but oppress others, committing genocide against the native Americans, and enslaving the black man. Certainly, no heroes to be found among them! And it occurred to me that even our imaginary heroes are now being tarnished. Not just Hollywood heroes of the past, but those in comic books as well. I heard that spider man is gay, but that is supposed to be heroic. I'm just amused those fictional characters, especially comic book ones, are being assigned a sexual identity. They're not real people, duh. It's called fantasy because it is fiction! When I hear people holding serious discussion about all of that I just laugh. The bottom line is it is fiction and can be anything you want it to be. There is no right or wrong in imagination! 

 Today however you often hear about heroes, they are everywhere. They are your friends, family and neighbors. Heroes are out there in the hundreds of thousands. I have even been called a hero! Why, what did I do that was heroic? I was in the Navy. I'm here to tell you, I'm no hero. You won't find a role model here. No, just your average guy. And that is what I have issue with as far as heroes go. Heroes are the exceptions! They are the ones that are above and beyond the average person. Heroes aren't like everyone else! Heroes are those that exemplify the character traits most admired in men. Did not Superman stand for Truth, Justice and the American way? That was his mission and he tried to hide his true identity because he wasn't seeking glory, fame or fortune. His purpose was solely to do what was right! All those Hollywood cowboys did the same. Defending the weak and killing those that needed killing. They were heroes. 

 I'm just saying as far as I can see we have no heroes today and that is a problem. Today we are trying to say everyone is a hero. That's why every hero of the past is being "exposed" by pointing out their humanity. Yes, they were real men with real lives doing what they felt was the right thing to do. Yes, Jefferson held slaves. So did 385,000 others in 1860. It doesn't make it right, but it was an accepted practice at that time. Does Jefferson holding slaves negate all his other accomplishments? I think all it does is show that he was pretty much a normal guy when it came to business. All those confederate soldiers were traitors? Or were they loyal to their beliefs and seeking to preserve their way of life? I believe the fact that they chose to support a different political view shouldn't be reason to erase them from history. 

 It is interesting to note that the very things used to discredit the heroes of the past are the very things being promoted as heroic today. Think about that. The behaviors, what are being called choices these days, that were unsavory, indeed disgusting and offensive in the past, are now on full display. It's a choice! And all choices are acceptable. Why it is even heroic to make such a choice public. Everyone is a hero! As a result, heroes are a dime a dozen and nothing special at all. Heroes define a culture, a society and sometimes a nation. What heroes do we have today? Think about that. No, really think about that. Even when it was just a fantasy, a comic book character, fifty years ago we had heroes, real heroes. Superman did stand for Truth, Justice and the American way! And we had real heroes too. JFK, Eisenhower, Patton, MLK, and others. A hero for everyone to admire, to emulate. Who do we have today?