What is a Hero?

"I was in uniform for four years, and I know that heroism doesn't occur from taking orders, but rather from people who through their own willpower and strength are willing to sacrifice their lives for an idea."-Thor Heyerdahl

 As a child, I was often imbued by the world of cartoon superheroes such as the Powerpuff Girls, Rogue and Jean Grey. As I grew, I became fascinated with the works of John Hughes, the music of La Roux and the acts of Carey Mulligan. All these fictional and non-fictional icons; were all my heroes. Until I realize the true meaning of a hero today.

 A real hero is someone like Gandhi, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Erin Gruwell, to name a few. Why are they heroes? They all share a similar quality of compassion towards the weaker, strength to stand for righteousness and courage to sacrifice themselves for the better of others. And all of that, without the lust for fame or notoriety. That; is what a real hero is made of.

 In the song, "Superman's Song" by the Crash Test Dummies( Ms. Abena you've killer taste in music), the lyrics portrayed a sense of self-sacrifice, compassion and non-superiority as Superman acts in his noble ways through pure initiative and not for the limelights as seen in the chorus paragraph:

"Superman never made any money

For saving the world from Solomon Grundy

And sometimes I despair the world will never see

Another man like him"

 Whereas in the poem "First They Came for the Jews", it clearly contrasted with the lyrics of Superman as depicted acts on the opposite end of the spectrum. In the poem, the poet says of himself as someone that lacks of initiative. The speaker does not speak out for anything that is relative to himself as seen in these 3 stanzas:

"First they came for the communists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew."

 The speaker in the end succumbed to his own act of selfishness in the end when he is said to be taken away, and this time, no one will speak out for him as well. The speaker finally takes a sip of his own poison in the last stanza as nobody also wanted to take a stand for him in his most dire moment:

"Then they came for me,

    and there was no-one left to speak out for me. "

  Many of us today are still often too engrossed in our egos to see that the essence of humanity is merely to see ourselves as neither superior nor inferior to anyone. We all live on the same planet, breath the same air hence why should humanity be divided according to our race, religion or even beliefs?

The blood of martyrs have been shed countlessly in the past, yet, we still live in a materialistic world where books are judged by their covers. And in the midst of the norm, there will be a handful of people who will storm out with a voice, a purpose and a fight for a better tomorrow.

And these are, heroes.