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Recommended: What is heroism
A hero is defined as someone who completes brave acts and or possesses admirable qualities. During the storms of Hurricane Katrina, many heroic figures emerged, ranging from individuals concerned with the medical aspect of the survivors’ health to individuals focused on feeding the general public displaced from their homes. All of these figures worked towards the same outcome: assisting the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The main difference is how the general public perceived these heroic individuals. Welcome to New Orleans, a documentary following the story of Malik Rahim and the Common Ground Organization’s efforts to feed and provide health care for the survivors, and Five Days at Memorial, a book focused on the events taking place in Memorial …show more content…
Memorial employees were respected members of the community before the storm; they had been the heroes before, saving countless lives in their day to day jobs. Nurses and physicians had already been seen by the public as those who help the hurt and injured. In The New York Times article “Critical Conditions” “author” discusses the conditions in which the employees of Memorial hospital worked in. Even though these employees had to work “without electricity and often in the dark, sleep-deprived doctors and nurses labored determinedly” (Sherwin). These individuals put their safety and health second, a fact that was readily recognized by the general public. After describing how the Memorial staff performed their jobs, the same New York Times article accredited these nurses and doctors as “heroic in their attention to duty” (Sherwin). The Memorial staff was praised and recognized for their efforts in the hospital in the days following the storms of Hurricane Katrina. The general public had no hesitation when claiming these individuals’ actions and even the individuals themselves as
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast of the United States of America. This tropical storm rendered much of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama a flooded wasteland; in particular, Memorial Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana was sequestered by the floods, leaving hundreds of patients, staff, and visitors without vital resources. Electricity was cut off, and the internal temperatures reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, as reported by journalist Sheri Fink (2009). Staff attempted to evacuate the hospital, carrying patients one-by-one down many flights of stairs. Several patients died during this evacuation. In the wake of the flood, it was discovered that 45 patients of Memorial Hospital had perished, and that 23 of these deaths were attributed to a lethal dose of Versed or morphine. Dr Anna Pou, a surgeon on duty during the disaster, was accused of euthanizing these patients during
Hurricane Katrina was a devastating storm that destroyed the lives of many New Orleanians. A storm that caused the people to be in a bad predicament. In the reading, “The Deadly Choices at Memorial” by Sheri Fink, is a story about events that are shadowed and never acknowledged until introduced. In other words, many of the stories that followed the storm were about the houses that were destroyed, the complex evacuation process, animals that were lost, or even the fridges that were destroyed but uplifting notes were left on it, but never the complicity of the hospitals and hospital staff that monitored the injured people.The story describes the scenery of the hospital. Many of the workers are tired and overworked due to power shortages and
During the times of the ancient Greeks, heroes and gods were the most admired of all beings. The heroes and gods bared supernatural and unmatched qualities like leadership, bravery, and strength, which caused the Greeks to praise them. Today, there are many people and organizations that possess those qualities and can be considered “modern-day heroes”. J.J. Watt, an NFL player for the Houston Texans, is an example of a “modern-day hero”. After Hurricane Harvey destroyed and devastated the city of Houston, Watt rose up and united the city, raising millions of dollars and bringing people together to help those affected. J.J. Watt is a modern-day hero because he leads, helps, and unites people.
Generally when you think of a hero, who do you envision? Most likely, you picture a strong and imposeing figure, someone capable of performing in high pressure situations, demonstrating bravery and passion to help his/her fellow man. Those who typically fit that role in society are firefighters, policemen, and soldiers. Those people deserve all the credit and recognition they receive for their courageous acts. However, what about individuals or groups who aren’t necessarily on the “frontlines” physically protecting others and saving lives, but who work extremely hard to improve the lives of others in some way? These everyday people deserve credit as well. After all, to the people they help, these volunteers or activists are heroes. An example of such a group is the Greensboro Four, a few African American college students in the early 1960s who helped change the landscape of segregation in the Jim Crow South.
The Five Days at Memorial is a book written by an author named Sheri Fink. The excerpt from this book describes how an unexpected disaster left staff, patients, and their love stranded in a hospital. “Without an established evacuation plan, when limited evacuation resources arrived, the staff found themselves having to make difficult decisions about who should leave the hospital first. These decisions proved crucial for the critically ill patients who required extensive care and support and who were at high risk of dying
Who is a hero? In contemporary times, usage of the term has become somewhat of a cliché. Over the years, the term “hero” has become representative of a wide variety of individuals, each possessing differing traits. Some of the answers put forth by my colleagues (during our in-class discussion on heroism) as to whom they consider heroes pointed to celebrities, athletes, teachers and family members. Although the occupations differed, each of their heroes bore qualities that my classmates perceived as extraordinary, whether morally or physically. Nonetheless, Webster’s defines “hero” as “a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” Thus, it is worth considering that individuals become heroes relative to the situation with which they’re faced.
A brave hero often risks his/her lives to save someone else. In Zeitoun, Dave Eggers tells us a story of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, the hard working Syrian American owner of a contracting company in New Orleans. Zeitoun and his wife Kathy ran the company together. They have three children named Nademah, Safiyah, Aisha. Kathy has a child from her first marriage. Zeitoun is very closed with his family and he takes his family like nobody else. When hurricane Katrina landed in 2005, endless number of people were affected. Mayor Nagin ordered a first time ever mandatory evacuation. Kathy moved with the children to her sister’s house in Baton Rouge. Zeitoun refused to leave with his family because he didn’t want lose his properties, but at the same time, his customers trusted him and gave him their house keys to check on their houses, which caused his separation with his family. This illustrates that Zeitoun is a responsible, powerful, trustworthy, and unselfish person. During the hurricane, Zeitoun was using a canoe rescuing people. Due to the lack of rescue work, many people didn’t get enough supports at that time. Zeitoun had the courage to sacrifice his family, safety, and selfish needs for saving the people.
What is a hero? For many, a firefighter, police officer, or superhuman may come to mind. According to Robert F. Kennedy, “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or the lot of others, or strikes out an injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” Clara Barton, a civil war nurse and the founder of the American Red Cross, is the epitome of a hero, as her heroic acts, courage and care during the Civil War serve as an inspiration for others in today’s dark times.
middle of paper ... ... The. “Hurricane Andrew: The Human Side of Recovery.” Disaster Recovery Journal, System Support Inc. 1 Sept. 2001. Web.
Weber, Ann. "WHAT MAKES A HERO? Ordinary People Put Their Lives on the Line to Help Others." The Blade [Toledo] 19 Apr. 2009, City Final ed., Toledo Magazine sec. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2010.
On August 29, 2005 Hurricane Katrina forced its way into New Orleans, Louisiana with winds of more than 140 mph. This storm was a strong category three when it hit New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina destroyed homes, businesses, and factories from the high winds and flooding. The devastation that the city suffered was terrible; many people lost family members young and old and also their most prized possessions. Most of all it displaced families and caused an abundance of damage to properties. Due to the costly destruction that the city of New Orleans faced after Katrina, they must now find a way to alleviate the blighted properties from their environment and also face the challenges.
The word "hero" is so often used to describe people who overcome great difficulties and rise to the challenge that is set before them without even considering the overwhelming odds they are up against. In our culture, heroes are glorified in literature and in the media in various shapes and forms. However, I believe that many of the greatest heroes in our society never receive the credit that they deserve, much less fame or publicity. I believe that a hero is simply someone who stands up for what he/she believes in. A person does not have to rush into a burning building and save someone's life to be a hero. Someone who is a true friend can be a hero. A hero is someone who makes a difference in the lives of others simply by his/her presence. In Tim O'Brien's novel, The Things They Carried, the true heroes stand out in my mind as those who were true friends and fought for what they believed in. These men and women faced the atrocities of war on a daily basis, as explained by critic David R. Jarraway's essay, "'Excremental Assault' in Tim O'Brien: Trauma and Recovery in Vietnam War Literature" and by Vietnam Veteran Jim Carter. Yet these characters became heroes not by going to drastic measures to do something that would draw attention to themselves, but by being true to their own beliefs and by making a difference to the people around them.
There comes a time in the world where the outcome of certain events can cause a huge social change, one of those events is Hurricane Katrina. The events that took place prior to, during and after Katrina although impact only a few places physically it was left in the minds of everyone in the world. There were many actions that could have taken place to prevent the damage of such a catastrophic event, however nothing was done. Hurricane Katrina, a category 3 hurricane struck Louisiana and parts of the Mississippi. New Orleans in particular, due to various reasons received the most damage. Katrina first started off as a small hurricane formed in the Bahamas as it moved towards Louisiana and Mississippi it became a category 5, which is the strongest it can become, then decreased to category 3 once it finally struck. The storm caused an incredible amount of damage that Hurricane Katrina was noted as the most destructive and costly natural disaster in US history. The death toll was 1,836 people with 200 bodies left unclaimed as well as over 700 people unaccounted for. Hurricane Katrina was a source of social change as people have learned from the impact it had on the mind and body of the citizens of New Orleans, the mismanagement and lack of leadership the government showed, and the substantial immediate and long term economic damage it caused the country.
There is another type of hero that almost no one is aware of. In the poorest areas of the country, live mostly minorities and other ethic background. All their lives they’ve been expected to work harder and expected not succeed in life. Some individuals living in poverty with a determination to succeed work hard all of their lives to become what everybody doubted they could. Escaping the crime, drugs, and prostitution is enough to escape hell, even if they don’t go to college. Despite of their financial problems, drug and crime surroundings, or difficulties in the language skills, their desire to triumph fuels their persistence. Those who make it to success are the few living examples of the purest form of hero anyone can be. They are not only their own heroes but also the heroes of the poor children who dream of becoming like them someday.
Society portrays heroes as doing good, as defending against a clear evil. Our society has Superheroes whom we idolize, but is that a true hero? Is it someone who dies with a clear conscience, or is it someone who has had to make some of the most difficult decisions to allow them to serve, protect, and survive. “Hero of War,” a song by Rise Against, and American Sniper by Chris Kyle show that the definition of hero is not as cut and dry as we might think. A soldier is a hero until someone hears what happened over seas, when they hear of the horrific things that happened in another country; but those exact experiences are what make them a true hero.