Be Careful Who You Make Your Heroes

Guest commentary
Exclusive to The Zelman Partisans
By PigPen51

Heroes have existed seemingly for all eternity, in nearly every culture. From Native Americans with tales of great bravery by men with names like “Eagle Feather” or “Bear Claw” to tales of heroes from ancient Israel like David vs Goliath to more modern times with real-world heroes like Audie Murphy, we all are familiar with the stories of those who inspire us to courage and faithfulness.

Often, however, we in America have created heroic images around people who have actually harmed us rather than benefitted us or society. Many men have been written into the history books as heroes not by virtue of anything positive they have done, but instead because of circumstances that chose them.

One such man is John F. Kennedy. He did nothing to deserve the title of hero. In fact, realistically, a strong case could be made for him as a horrible example of a leader, and one who was unfit for the office of president. From his disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion to his adultrous affairs to his escalation of the Vietnam war to his possible ties with Mafia leaders, he definately had feet of clay.

Of course, we can’t forget honest Abe Lincoln. His abuse of power is legendary. Even before the Civil War, he suspended the Writ of Habeus Corpus, then imprisoned the leaders of the pro-slavery movement from Maryland. This ensured a win in the next election in that state, which kept it from going to the south, thus landlocking and isolating Washington, D.C. Eventually, Lincoln would imprison as many as 14,000 people for political reasons. Many were held for the entire war. He also censored the mail and the telegraphs and shut down up to 300 newspapers for varying lengths of time.

We don’t have to go that far back in history to find “heroes” who have in fact been nothing but the same political self serving, freedom-stealing murderers that have been around for years.

The obvious candidate for first place is George W. Bush. For many conservatives, he is a paragon of freedom, second only to the great Ronald Reagan in modern times. And yet for those of us with any common sense, who can forget the Patriot Act, or the torture committed in our name?

A controversial one could be Edward Snowden. Many believe that by coming forward and releasing the documents he did, he is a hero. He did, after all, bring to light the many abuses of the NSA. However, the possibility remains that by his reckless release of these documents he caused many U.S. human assets to be put in danger. Whether or not this resulted in actual death remains a matter of contention.

I could go even further. I could go to other countries. Perhaps the great humanitarian Nelson Mandela. The man who united a nation. The communist leader who also was a ANC leader, the group who popularized the execution method called necklacing. Let’s just say it involved gasoline and an automobile tire. That narrative isn’t politically expedient, so we will just sweep it under the rug and call Mandela an unalloyed hero. It is the same for many others.

Someone can of course be a hero to one group while being hated by another. Even worse, in our case, many publicly extolled “heroes” rob our freedom while other genuine heroes go unsung or are even villified.

I am sure most people who are reading this are familiar with many freedom-movement activists. You have probably read their blogs, or seen their names in the comment sections of other writers. They all have the same thing in common with the heroes that I remember from the Vietnam war. They never thought they did anything heroic. They always said, if asked, “I didn’t do anything anyone else wouldn’t do.”

I think our country is certainly in need of heroes. We face a growing threat from without in the form of terror and financial attack. Perhaps more significantly, we face a threat from within, which, if left unchecked could rival that seen 150 years ago. It will take courage — and dare I say heroism — to lead our country back to where our founding fathers, and yes, mothers, meant for us to be.

However, as we consider this, I urge caution before making anyone into a hero. Think of all the different leaders of the past, especially those who ran for office with good intentions. Some probably genuinely thought they could make a difference. In my own state, many times “good” politicians swore, “Only two terms, and then I will not run again.” They quickly abandoned such promises, claiming they didn’t realize how long it took to get the feel for the job and to build relationships. We passed an amendment to our state constitution limiting them, and they continually bitch and moan about it, wanting to change it back.

Perhaps money and power are disqualifing factors for being a hero.

As I write this, I realize the question is not how can we make anyone into our hero but rather how can we become our own hero?

I think it would be great to try to become a hero myself. That way nobody loses. I don’t have to wait for someone else to act. And being a hero doesn’t mean waiting for some big event to sweep me up. I can start with the everyday things. I don’t have to wait for someone else write a letter to the editor. I don’t have to wait for someone else to take a new shooter to the range. I don’t have to wait for … fill in the blank.

Give up your heroes and work to become a hero by your own actions. Once you do, freedom can’t be far behind.

It has often been said, “be the change you want to see.” The same can be said for freedom. Be the freedom that you want to have. Don’t want to feel like the government owns you? The change comes first not on the outside, but on the inside. Fill your mind with the idea that first and foremost, you own yourself. They can only take away what you let them.

We must stop waiting for our heroes to do anything for us. Once we truly get that, really get that deep down in our heart, and start to actively do the things that the free people do, we will see our nation, or at least our communities, turn around. But just as we musn’t look for others be our heroes, we can’t stop to wonder if we are making any difference. A hero doesn’t look back. A hero doesn’t worry if what they are doing will be perceived by others as right or not. Heroes just act the best way they can, and count on someone else to be there for them later if they stagger or fall.

Freedom once tasted, can never be taken away, but can only be given up. We will never let each other down if we simply stand on our own.

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15 thoughts on “Be Careful Who You Make Your Heroes”

    1. Mama, distance does not separate neighbors. I feel like I could walk across the back yard and borrow a cup of sugar.
      My parents used to have a neighbor that bought a new car, something that didn’t happen often in our small town. We were going from MI to KS to visit my uncle in the Army and his family. That neighbor not only offered to loan her new car for the trip, but would not take no for an answer. She was a wonderful woman, I will never forget her. this was in 1966.
      If we were neighbors, we would be like that. you are special, and I hold you in high esteem. thanks.

  1. Why should I be concerned with whether or not Snowden’s disclosures of data put together by a criminal gang, for criminal purposes, with stolen money, to the victims of that gang so that they could know what the gang was up to, endangers members of said gang? Live the thug life, deal with the consequences.

  2. Thomas,
    When starting out to write this article, I was totally convinced that Snowden was a total traitor and deserved to be hung by whatever parts would support him the longest until he was dead. It was only after I did the appropriate research that I found that things, like they often do, have more than one side.
    Much of the data that might have proven that the release of data has damaged our intel network are redacted from foia releases.
    Any information of those who may have been killed because of the release of the info has been difficult for me to find. I am sure someone with better skills would have better luck in chasing things down. I am just saying that for me, I am learning for myself, I am only going to be sure about things that I have seen the evidence for myself, or have been a witness to from history. I hope to stick to this in the future, and invite everyone to call me on this if I stray from it. Integrity is a two way street, not only expected from our leaders but also ourselves.

  3. PigPen,

    Well, there’s the problem: You refer to “our” intel networks.

    I don’t have any intel networks. Or at least not any intel networks that have been compromised by Snowden.

    Do you have any such intel networks?

    The only intel networks I’m aware of that Snowden may have compromised are those operated by the violent criminal gang which goes by the name of “the US government.” And the more damage those networks take, in my opinion, the better.

  4. I understand your phraseology and also that many others feel the same way. However, just because you disassociate from the thugs in D.C., and I don’t blame you, it in no way changes the fact that the government in D.C. is still the one that has been legally elected to run the country, whether or not we like it. Until such time as it is either replaced or changed, we are stuck with it, and any intel it collects is done tacitly in our name, whether we like it or not, just as any torture done by the thugs done by them is done in or name, and therefore must be stopped. It is why I myself feel the need to be politically active. Some do not feel at all this way, and that is absolutely alright. There is room enough in the society to encompass many opinions, as long as we all embrace individual freedom and responsibility.
    Just because you deny something doesn’t make it not exist. You can claim that the intel is not yours, but if you are a citizen of the U.S., it belongs to you just as much as it does to every other citizen of the country. If you didn’t want the thugs to gather this said data, and did not want to pay for it, it doesn’t matter, they don’t ask you. Just because they don’t ask you does not mean you can claim it isn’t yours. As a citizen, it is inherently yours, just like the National Parks belong to all of us.
    I completely understand your point, and I feel it is somewhat valid. I hope you can understand my point and find the validity in it as well. You don’t have to agree with me, just try to understand why I take this stand.
    I respect your point of view and you and thank you for your feedback. I look forward to learning more from youl

    1. “it belongs to you just as much as it does to every other citizen of the country.”

      Which is to say, it doesn’t belong to me at all. Although I agree with Tom Knapp on Snowden and related points (as you already know from our discussions as you worked on this piece), I think that in the context of this post, if not the larger world, it’s a minor quibble.

      I don’t know whether you want the world to know it, pigpen51, but I’ll say it anyhow: This is pigpen’s first-ever piece of “officially” published writing and I’m proud that he chose TZP for what can be a terrifyingly bold adventure.

      That people read this and want to be your neighbor is a nice testament.

      1. Oh, and I think Snowden is actually a good example that one person’s hero is another’s villain.

        Snowden is one of the few people in the world my jaded old self would call a hero and I think we need more like him. OTOH, fellow TZP blogger Nicki hates his guts.

        Doesn’t stop us from walking down the freedom path together.

  5. Snowden is both a hero and traitor. I am against the permanent warfare state but it is legal, if funded. It’s existence is our fault. Where Snowden disclosed sources and methods and names he is in fact treasonous. Electronic intelligence collection against foreign assets is legitimate. Don’t like it, but it’s true. Where he blew the whistle on Bill of Rights violations and .mil asset use against Americans he is a hero. Some don’t like that, but it’s true. He can be both and he is both.

  6. Claire,
    Point taken as far as collecting of information that should not be collected, such as would violate our 4th amendment rights. As to legitimate information collected for military intelligence, where do you stand on that? Does anyone own that? Is the collection of intelligence legitimate?
    As to the point of this being my first post, if it weren’t for the help and encouragement from Claire, it wouldn’t have happened, and she knows it. I had an idea, but she forced me to dig and refine and made it worth putting out there, for better or for worse. I accept the blame for the idea, but I give her the credit for making it readable.
    Comrade X, as I had told Claire when I was attempting this, I was hoping to make people not agree with me, but to think, and so if I have done that I have been successful. For you to give me such high praise is humbling. I am a rank beginner compared to so many who have been doing this for so long. While I admit that I am not always right, I will always strive to protect the constitution and our right to defend it with arms, and will always be willing to learn from someone smarter and wiser than me, of whom there are many.

    1. Pigpen51, Very good article. It has spurred my thought on the subject. As to legitimate I would say nations have a right to self defense as do persons. I say the right is from God, if you don’t no biggie. I’m also prior service and so both, color my understanding. Every living thing has a natural defense mechanism. Fight, flight, and hide are all natural, God given, inherent, and therefore legitimate is what I mean. NSA was born out of the code breaking effort against the Japanese during WWII is good example of “legitimate” and a little history to boot. Perhaps intercepting redcoat messengers during the revolution is another. I’m new to your site and like it much, and no, I will not be surrendering my firearms.

  7. “You can claim that the intel is not yours, but if you are a citizen of the U.S., it belongs to you just as much as it does to every other citizen of the country. ”

    Well, in that case, Snowden just delivered my property to me, while the people he copied it from were withholding my stolen property from me. So good on Snowden.

  8. I presupposed ownership of the data, how otherwise, could it have been provided back to whom it was collected against. And yep, it’s your property alright as are the equipment, logistics, hard assets, policies, and procedures used. And the agents, technicians and analysts are your employees alright. And the policy change in 04 directing that the entire national security apparatus be turned inward, resulting in the creation of Northern Command, designating you as a potential enemy combatant, you own that as well. You have built a gigantic electronic prison, waltzed right through the front gate, and paid for privilege. You should tell your children tonight that you are sorry before they figure it all out and hang you from a nearby lamppost. Angry yet? Good.
    This is our fault. We did this.

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