Heroes

The word hero has been thrown around an awful lot. Not just lately, for as long as I can remember. I think I really started to take notice on September 11th, 2001. Since that day I can't think of a day that has gone through a 24 hour cycle which has not included some reference to a new hero.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines hero, rather loosely in my opinion, as: 1d: one that shows great courage. This causes me to sit back and think a little about what a hero means to me. Perhaps it'll help to illustrate where my mind was going by using examples of heroism I've read:

• A soldier who throws himself on a grenade in order to save the lives of those around him with obvious disregard for his own personal welfare
• A stranger who helps to dislodge a person's foot from a railroad track while a train barrels down. The train struck, and killed, all involved. The stranger made no attempt to save his own life, instead surrendering it in the hopes of freeing the trapped person
  
• A person who hears the screams for help from a woman being recklessly beaten and comes to the rescue, foregoing his own personal safety to prevent further bodily injury to the stranger
• A person, witnessing a car crashing into a body of water, dives into the frigid lake to rescue the passengers paying no mind to the risks involved

And, as a general rule, often-referred heroes and to whom I do not believe the tag applies:

• Soldiers
• Police officers
• Firefighters
• Animals

You may notice a slight recurring theme in my examples of heroism: they are humans who have made the decision to disregard their own safety, or in some cases knowingly surrender their own lives, for the lives of others. I tend to find the stories inspirational and often I'm left with goosebumps after considering what an amazing person it takes to do such a thing.

While I'm not a religious man by any means, I find this quote to be spot-on when describing a hero: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" - John 15:13. Although I give a broader meaning to friends and apply it universally to all people.

Why exclude who I have, you ask? Well, as a general rule, if you have put yourself into a position to daily risk your life for others, you've made the choice to take on a dangerous profession. Good for you. So it'll take a bit more than stopping a drunk driver or shooting the bad guy to make me label you a hero. It'll pretty much take a sacrifice to qualify...or at least something where they had accepted that this meant death to them and they did it anyway, just to save someone else.

But why exclude animals? Well, by my thinking, you have to be aware of your own mortality before you can willingly put it on the table. Oh, I've read stories of heroism by dogs that have given me goosebumps and damn near had me weeping like a babe. But it's not like the dog was thinking it could die...more like "who the hell is going to feed me steak if I don't get my family out". Although I may need to revise my definition for this.

Boy scouts who, after a tornado, applied first aid to other injured boy scouts? Quick thinking and nice job applying the skills you just learned. Heroes? Not likely. Marine gunner who kills 104 Iraqi insurgents in combat? Good shooting, Tex. Hero? Doubtful. Man who acts as insulation during a blizzard on Mt. Rainier, taking the worst of the cold so his best friend and wife could survive? He died so 2 others could live. Yeah, he's a hero.

Something I haven't thought much about with this hero label is where inspirational folks fall it. People like Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Jefferson, Mahatma Ghandi, and others. I'm not sure I'd have to revise my line of thinking, they probably all knowingly risked, or surrendered, their own safety and security for the lives of others.

Hero: A person who knowingly, and willingly, places his or her life or safety at exceptional risk to preserve the life or safety of another.