The Politics of Heroism

One person’s hero is another ones terrorist or extremist. Examples abound: Robert E. Lee supporters are countered by fans of Ulysses Grant regarding the American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States depending upon perspective.
Proponents of Malcolm X and even Dr. King are met with accusations that these men were agents of foreign powers or actively promoted civil unrest. Taking this topic to the real life superhero ( RLSH ) territory I regularly tread and parallels are obvious.
The first real world costumed crime fighter who harms a suspect will be simultaneously hailed and reviled! Imagine if Batman’s bone breaking exploits were real? He’d have the entire alphabet soup of law enforcement hot on his heels. Vigilante-flavored heroism is fun to read and watch but doesn’t play well in real life. Not hating on Batman y’all, just making a point. Whenever an activist with a fancy name and/or outfit can’t differentiate between fantasy and a life fantastic, he/she will find police and psychiatric officials waiting to do it for him. That’s why creative concerned citizens needs to be so careful about exercising creativity.
I use the RLSH example because to some an Al Sharpton is a hero as is a Glenn Beck to others.
Each engenders intense positive and negative reactions which must be taken into account, along with their contemporaries. Like RLSH, perceptions of national spokespersons run the spectrum from sublime to ridiculous. The general populace either revere or revile a veritable Who’s Who of big names and causes. Our job as heroism advocates is to recognize truly admirable people and moments regardless of pedigree. Being open to the best within us opens new doors for much needed mutual respect and personal growth.
Heroism is open to interpretation. Somebody out there actually finds the Ku Klux Klan heroic as do others impressed by the Black Panthers, old school and brand new. As a child of the 1970s and 80s I got to sample tons of factual and fictional heroic examples.
Watergate’s Deep Throat ( later revealed as FBI executive Mark Felt ) was a hero whose whistle blowing deposed a president who went too far with his powers. Service members from any era who threw themselves on grenades to save peers were heroes in my young eyes as were Vietnam protesters who risked imprisonment for standing up for their convictions.
Muhammad Ali, already a personal hero, was made even more so by his stance on the draft. He inspired me to resolve to do the same if a future conflict ran afoul of my morality. I wouldn’t run or hide. I’d simply face the government and fight whatever came my way. Heroism is rarely about doing what’s simple or consequence- free.
My heroes are of all colors; in both political parties; across every ideology and hail from every imaginable profession. I’ve sought the heroic my entire life and can’t think of better subject matter.
What makes someone stand up when everyone else is bowing down? Why don’t long odds intimidate some people? High achievers are living mirrors reflecting what awaits us when we finally escape the ordinary.
Toss in politics and heroism gets ugly as agenda-driven value judgments enter the picture. If it serves someone’s agenda to praise a given person his/her image will dominate the airwaves. The opposite holds true as well. That’s why heroism needs to be rigorously apolitical because anyone can be a hero instead of select members of certain ideologies.
The politics of heroism are messy and demand removal from any interests that don’t celebrate the highest human potential. Sadly, celebrating the highest human potential isn’t what politics often seems to promote these days.
A new politics of heroism is long overdue.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK is a super rights activist who promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info .