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Tuesday, July 28, 2009 - 6:47 PM
"Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio our nation turns it's lonely eyes to you....."
Simon and Garfunkel - "Mrs. Robinson"
WHERE HAVE OUR HEROES GONE?
If you are looking for a role model it's a tough time to be growing up in America. In this day and age where commercial hype and money are all the rage here are a few depressing examples of those that are being held up as "heroes":
1. Michael Vick - NFL Quarterback and convicted felon who organized dog fights and the killing of dogs that didn't perform. This poster child of animal cruelty has just been declared eligible again to play in the NFL? Do you have any doubt he'll be playing for a team soon?
2. Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and more - Baseball players who send kids the message that not only is it okay to use performance enhancing drugs, it's not a big deal if you get caught because you won't get kicked out of the game and you'll still get to earn insane amounts of money. Thanks guys....
3. Politicians - I wish President Obama well - I think he means well when it comes to many issues, even though I find myself disagreeing with him more often than not. However, how does he - or anyone else - go about changing a system rife with power hungry politicians who are beholden to party lines and special interests - as opposed to the interests of the common men and women who elected them? As for getting rid of them? Easier said than done - Parties reward loyalty and Special Interests help bring in big funds for elections. Who gets the short end of this stick? That's right, you, me and anyone with the temerity to try to run for office on a shoestring budget.
So - who should we look up to in this day and age? I've got a couple of suggestions:
1. Astronauts (and those that dare to dream big). These people look to space and sky and like a line from a Carl Sandburg poem say "Where to? What next?". - Going back to the moon. You betcha. - Manned missions to Mars. Give them a chance. - Exploring our solar system and beyond. It can be done - and should be to. Astronauts are explorers, scientists and pioneers wishing to discover and learn about the undiscovered space and planets around us. They represent the American Spirit!
2. Soldiers - The United States Military has developed leaders, both officers and non-commissioned officers, who quietly fight for and guard the freedoms we take for granted back home. Only a few stand up for our rights and put themselves in harms way - and they do it while the rest of the country stays enamored with the latest TV reality show or train wreck of a celebrity, not giving our soldier's efforts a second thought beyond what might be briefly mentioned on the nightly news. These same men and women have a "can do" attitude that is becoming increasingly foreign to many Americans. Leaders in the U.S. Military believe nothing is impossible. Some tasks are harder than others, but any mission, given the right people and the right attitude, can be completed. There is much to be learned here.
3. Fathers and Mothers - You know the ones - the ones that give of themselves for their Children. I'm not talking about the ones that buy the most toys or spend the most money on vacations. I'm talking about the ones that actually spend time with their kids, whether it be in the outdoors fishing, hiking, camping, hunting or even at the kitchen table over dinner. The kind of parents that take the time to teach their children right from wrong - and actually model that behavior.
Do you want heroes America - You would do well to turn off the TV that glorifies the former group - and instead look towards the true leaders, dreamers, explorers, doers, listeners and teachers.
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Mentors
Assuming the term “heroes” translates to “mentors”, a good article to read is Jim Martin’s “A tale of six mentors” at this location http://www.fisheries.org/afs/docs/fisheries/fisheries_3309.pdf
You hit the nail on the head suggesting that parents should be heroes (or mentors) to their children. That’s the best place to start if we want the world to be a better place in the future. But instilling change becomes exponentially more difficult as you get further from your own home. In today’s society, even the simplest criticism is, more often than not, viewed as offensive. Jim Martin’s article not only demonstrates how important mentors have been to his own success, but also the importance of remaining positive and understanding how your actions affect others.
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