The fate of heroes

Wednesday, 5/28/97 The fate of heroes VALUES: Role models are
made with qualities people deem important

"Look, up in the sky … It’s a bird … It’s a plane … No,
it’s Super Julianne … [smack!] … Ouch!" Did you ever have a
hero? Some person who possessed all the qualities that you admired?
Perhaps this hero motivated you to spin around like a top,
screaming at the top of your lungs, "Wonder Woman!" Or maybe, just
maybe, you suffered a couple of scrapes and bruises while running
around the house with a sheet tied around your neck. My personal
favorite, Superman, embodied truth and justice. He fought crime and
helped people in need. (He also could fly, which I could never
imitate.) Heroes come in many forms, from war heroes such as Robert
E. Lee, whose brilliant tactics nearly split the not-so-United
States in half, to your mother or your father. (Why is it that
cursed Bette Midler song "The Wind Beneath My Wings" is playing in
my head?) But what happens when a hero (heaven forbid) proves to be
all too human? Do you divorce yourself of any semblance of an
association with them? (For example, did you tear down any posters
of that one football guy who played for U$C?) Or did you defend
your hero while others heckled you? During one of my
procrastination episodes, I asked my mother how she and my father
decided upon the names of my siblings. The most curious answer
involved my brother Richard. He was born on Nov. 2, 1974, several
months after Richard Nixon resigned. President Richard Nixon, a.ka.
Tricky Dick, still remains a controversial political figure. I
recall one United States history book classified him as one of the
worst presidents to occupy the White House. I assume that most of
you know Nixon bears the title of the only president to resign
though reportedly "not a quitter." But was he such a terrible
president? Nixon showed the world that the president of the United
States was merely human. Still, this does not excuse what occurred.
Because he ran for re-election, some members of his administration
resorted to "dirty tricks." In 1972, Nixon won by a decisive
margin, but soon thereafter, the Watergate scandal erupted. By
August 1974, he resigned, leaving America’s trust in the presidency
shattered. This same president opened the doors to the People’s
Republic of China. Nixon also established the policy of detente
with the Soviet Union. Under his terms, the American involvement in
Vietnam ended, and the peaceful desegregation of public schools in
the South occurred. (Not bad for a "bad" president.) It’s strange
how America views heroes. On a recent rerun of "The Simpsons," Lisa
discovers the horrible secret that the town hero who is loved by
all is actually a former evil pirate. At first, Lisa attempts to
expose the fraud but soon discovers that this "fraud" represents a
symbol for the people of Springfield that far exceeded his actual
character and deeds. Perhaps, Nixon became the symbol of corruption
in politics. His name immediately brings to mind scandal. Compare
his legacy with how people view the Founding Fathers, especially
George Washington. He embodies the patriotism of that time and a
great leader. How much of it is truth and how much is fiction? (At
about the same time I skinned my knees while trying to fly, I
believed in the grand story about George and the cherry tree. No
wonder people are bitter. It’s because of all the inaccurate
information disseminated through our culture. First people tell you
that there is a Santa Claus and then they tell you that there
isn’t. Then they go off on the Easter Bunny … But I digress.) Why
is it sometimes difficult to accept the shortcomings of our heroes?
Are the values of this society the cause? Yet another question to
which I cannot provide the answer. A disturbing thought that
preoccupies my mind every so often is why it is that athletes are
viewed as either heroes or role models while teachers are often
undervalued. Perhaps it’s because athletes manage to earn millions
of dollars for their ability to slam dunk a basketball and bring in
huge crowds of gawking fans. It’s all about money. Teachers merely
educate future leaders, doctors and lawyers, among others. No big
deal. That’s why they get paid the dismal salaries they earn. It’s
not like they bring in thousands of screaming fans willing to pay
hundreds of dollars on teacher’s supplies. And why is it that
through ugly war, heroes emerge? So this great war hero managed to
outwit and outmaneuver an opponent. One can safely assume that
their side killed more people than the other side. How admirable!
What makes a hero a hero depends on what you consider important. So
maybe the ol’ Founding Fathers don’t quite meet your standards. Or
you don’t care how well a person can hit a baseball. Perhaps a
teacher did you wrong by teaching you useless bits of trivia on his
personal life and that dead general guy offends you, because you
are a pacifist. Instead, you admire your father or your mother for
all the hard work they did in order to provide you with the
opportunities you have today. (Sure.) In the end, you might not
have a hero. All the people on this planet just don’t meet your
standards. Maybe you are your own hero. Just stop and think about
the people emulated in our society, whether it’s Dennis Rodman or
Jim Carrey. Why is it that these people are so important? What do
they do for our society? Entertain us. Make us laugh. Give us a
brief moment to escape this dreary place. If that’s all it takes,
then I’ll say most everyone bears traits that make them someone
admirable. Previous Daily Bruin story: A Menacing Cloud Shadows
Humanity