"Heroism is the brilliant triumph of the soul over the flesh - that is to say, over fear Heroism is the dazzling and glorious concentration of courage.".
---Henri-Frederic Amiel---.
What, the first question must be, is the distinguishing nature of heroism? What characteristics must one possess to qualify as a hero? According to the Ancient Greeks and Aristotle, a hero is a person or group of people who maintain outstanding qualities of the mind and body, and who proves himself by doing great deeds of valor, strength, and intellect. Before September 11, 2001 society viewed heroes as TV figures like Superman and Batman, or as sports figures like Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan. They were people who did something to get famous, get noticed, or accomplish a given goal. Now, heroes are seen as people that do things for other people even when they do not have to. Every state, city, town, village, and community has an everyday hero that, up until today, was in hiding. An everyday hero in my mind is Firefighters from all over the United States.
Firefighters throughout the nation are not afraid to risk their lives for the safety of others in their community. Everyday firefighters go to work accepting the fact that they are put into dangerous positions where they have not only their lives, but the lives of others in their hands as well. From getting a cat out of a tree, to putting out raging house fires, to tragic events, the people of the fire departments are always there for anyone in need of their help. These men and women show their selflessness, their courage, and their sense of nationalism, everyday in going far above and beyond the call of duty by knowingly risking their lives to save the lives of others.
If these "heroes" have a tragic flaw, it is that they put the lives of those who need them above their own, and that they love others more than they love themselves. September 11, 2001 proves this flaw to its extreme.
