First, a definition of terms:
he-ro Pronunciation heer-oh - noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros.
1) a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2) a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
Pa-tri-ot Pronunciation pey-tree-uht, -ot or, especially Brit., pa-tree-uht- noun
1) a person who loves, supports, and defends his or her country and its interests with devotion.
2) a person who regards himself or herself as a defender, esp. of individual rights, against presumed interference by the federal government.
This much abused word does not mean one who offers blind obedience to despotic rulers, one who kills unquestioningly, or one who votes Republican.
(more below the fold...)
Trai-tor Pronunciation
trey-ter - noun
1) a person who betrays another, a cause, or any trust.
2) a person who commits treason by betraying his or her country.
This also much abused word does not mean one who votes Democratic (though it is often accurately applied to those who vote Republican - just the author's opinion).
Second, a disclaimer: All great humans are humans first and given to the flaws, foibles, and failings characteristic of the race. We are none of us perfect. As it has been put before, all great men (or women) have feet of clay.
"Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image ... his feet part of iron and part of clay. ... And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken."
~ The Book of Daniel
The accomplishments of great individuals should not be torn assunder by the petty carping of their lesser and often jealous brethren. Any ordinary liar can impugn the honor of patriots, and any fool can throw rocks at dead heroes.
My hero in the world of art is a case in point. Much is made of the `mental illness' suffered by Vincent Van Gogh. I have even heard people dismiss his brilliance on the basis that he wasn't `right' in the head. I think it's a mistake to view mental illness as a disease rather than a condition of the mind. It's not exactly something you catch after all. I submit that it is a seed which we all carry with us in our brains. If your's is small enough you probably don't even notice it, but certain conditions can cause our seeds to sprout, to grow, and to blossom. When that happens you will face the struggles that millions and millions of others have faced before you. Your empathy and compassion for those others is then likely to blossom as well.
At what point do the `blues' become `depression'? And when does ordinary depression become `clinical' depression? At what point does inspiration become delusion? When do the angels in your head become demons? These are difficult questions and largely rhetorical; the point is that mental health is a continuum one end of which is benign the other malignant - but the potential for extreme weirdness lies deeply within us all. Let us not dismiss with cheap contempt those whose demons are at any particular point greater than our own. It is hubris to do so. We all suffer from mental illness at some points in our lives - some of us just suffer more than others. We are all a bit insane, each in our own way; the differences are largely a matter of degree.
So was Vincent Van Gogh a brilliant artist, a towering genius, a certified wonder, and a treasure for all mankind? Abso-fucking-lutely!
So I don't want to hear that Vincent was `mental', or that John Lennon had a bad temper, or that JFK and MLK were womanizers, or that Thomas Jefferson (like his contemporaries) was a slave owner, or that Mother Teresa was more interested in conversion than compassion. I'm not necessarily denying any of those accusations, and I am certainly not defending them, I just want the greatness of these heroes to stand despite their human failings.
Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.
~ The Book of John
Disclaimer # 2: When I use biblical citations it is my way of honoring literary tradition, and is not an endorsement of any particular religion, or religion itself for that matter.
We hardly knew ye John (and Bobby).
Despite his by now well-known flaws, it is my opinion that to find a greater man than John F. Kennedy who has held the office of President of the United States, you would have to go back as far as Jefferson or Washington.
JFK's brief moment in the sun goes back to when television was still fairly new and the words `soundbite' and `spin' (in its modern context) were not a part of our vocabulary. Of course he had his speechwriters and advisors, but he stood on his own as a brilliant and articulate man. In his day he was rightly famous for his political passion and inspiring eloquence.
A collection of a few of my favorite JFK quotes.
Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.
Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.
My father always told me that all businessmen were sons of bitches, but I never believed it till now.
The very word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths, and to secret proceedings.
The basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution.
Modern cynics and skeptics... see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.
The goal of education is the advancement of knowledge and the dissemination of truth.
Once you say you're going to settle for second, that's what happens to you in life.
The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all.
Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.
Our problems are man-made; therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.
Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.
The courage of life is often a less dramatic spectacle than the courage of a final moment; but it is no less a magnificent mixture of triumph and tragedy.
Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the oppression or persecution of others.
Too often we... enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.
The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.
The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty, and all forms of human life.
Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind.
I loved not only John, but his brother Bobby as well. Their loss is an incalculable tragedy for our nation. If these men had lived, our reality might well have been dramatically different. We have had to do without all they had to offer us.
JFK and RFK embodied the enlightened thinking of our age, and they were killed because of it by those who would keep us in the Dark Ages (just my own humble and purely speculative opinion).
Has anybody here seen my old friend Martin?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
He freed lotta people but it seems the good they die young
I just looked around and he's gone
from Abraham, Martin, and John by Richard Holler, recorded by Dion
Dr. Martin Luther King came to us in a time when he was sorely needed. He provided inpiration, courage, and comfort to many of us who were oppressed and in need. He boldly and eloquently spoke the truth - and he freed a lot of people. But then we killed him.
It is impossible to escape the curious and regrettable conclusion that those among us who boldly speak truth to power, who provide enlightened leadership, and who powerfully urge us all to do the right things are all too often murdered for their troubles.
All we are saying is give peace a chance.
~ John Lennon
The man who wrote All You Need is Love and who tirelessly advocated peace, love, and understanding was spied on by the FBI, harassed by U.S. Immigration, and finally shot down in the street like a dog.
If you want to be safe in the U.S.A., if you want to live a long life in America, never speak of Peace, Love, Truth, or Justice.
These are just a few of my personal heroes, but there are many others - both living and dead. Even now in the dark days of 21st century America heroes are emerging. They are often ordinary Americans who have had enough and courageously choose to take a stand. Let us not forget them, or the risks they take when they put themselves on the line to resist the neocon Republican agenda. Let us be mindful of the hatred, harassment, and death threats they endure. Let us remember their example and honor their service.
As for the traitors, we all know who they are.
Let us turn out in November in such massive and overwhelming numbers that even these master liars, cheaters, and manipulators cannot prevail. Let us obliterate them at the polls, punish them in the courts, and banish them from politics and power for all time. Amen.
I often pause to ponder where we'd be today if we weren't in the habit of murdering our heroes.
But finally, I suppose, that is a mystery, an imponderable - something we will never know.