A Conservative’s Viewpoint Are There Heroes Among Us?

Article by Bob Steinburg - Edenton, North Carolina: Cradle of the Colony

Throughout history there have been individuals who – by circumstance or divine intervention – became leaders who forever changed the world. Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Golda Meir, Mother Teresa and Ronald Reagan were among those catapulted into greatness. Each had to overcome adversity-including poverty, paralysis, rejection, racism, ridicule and defeat.

Lincoln rose from poverty to become the 16th president of the United States. He fought to keep the nation united, and with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, abolished slavery.

By peacefully fighting political and social evils, Gandi helped secure India’s freedom after 150 years of British rule.

Meir, a Milwaukee housewife, became prime minister of Israel. Her commitment to her land and people is legendary.

Mother Teresa and King each won a Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in giving poor people of all colors hope and a sense of dignity and self-worth. They sparked the conscience of a generation.

Roosevelt pulled the nation from the depths of the Great Depression, and with Churchill, defeated Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan in World War II.

Reagan achieved peace through strength and ended the epic Cold War confrontation with the Soviet Union.

While different, their individual life-long journeys uniquely prepared these heroes for the world stage. No one can adequately explain why. Throughout history, men and women have appeared when hope seemed lost and despair was the mindset. Will it happen again?

Evil surrounds us. From terrorism to genocide, much of humanity seems to be losing its moral compass. Family values are eroding and the value of human life has been diminished. The willingness to stand up for what we know is right is being tempered by voices telling us that it’s not our problem – that if we don’t talk about it, it will simply go away.

We have lost respect for our land and the environment. Have we become so selfish a nation that we have forgotten the meaning of sacrifice and perseverance? Someone, perhaps unknown to us now, may be the man or woman who also will change history. It may be a current presidential candidate. Or a housewife from North Carolina.

This nation was built on sacrifice. To continue to be the beacon of freedom and hope to the world, we need heroes.

Now.

I guess the only question is, hero by whose definition? Some of the people Bob listed are leaders. Some are just role models. The important issue to note is that heroes, whether role models or leaders, are almost always a product of the environment in which they find themselves and the qualities they bring to make change in that specific environment. There is also the recognition that no hero is a hero to all. Every one of the people Bob listed above have enemies who do not consider them heroes.

What is important is what Bob has noted; we are at a very important place in history with a great number of challenges that are forcing change in our world. I think it is accurate to say we are at war on a number of fronts. We are at war with Islamofascism. We are at war with Aztlantism. We are at war with Relativism (my phrase for the culture war). We are at war with Socialism.

We seem to be looking for a leader who can fight all these battles. I wonder if such a miracle leader exists? I suspect that we will find a leader in one or two areas and maybe even a hero for every one of our wars. Hopefully that will be enough to make the world a better place for our children.

Bob has written a great article with an important point. We do need heros. Are you ready to be one . . . . or follow one?