The Pros And Cons Of Heroism

There is a small line in the comparison of a hero and a villain in some scenarios. Individuals who save lives are easily compared to heroes. Professionals or individuals who receive praise for other than saving lives or believed to be serving justice can be defined as villains or heroes. Numerous organizations around the world can be viewed as either villains or heroes. At this time the local law enforcement agencies of the United States are debated as either depending on personal viewpoints. One that stretches to heights beyond comprehension of most United States citizens would be the argument of Al Qaeda or the Taliban being along the lines of Heroes. Sometimes heroism can only be measured in hindsight in terms of cultural views and

One instance where the label of hero was debated is best represented by Boyd’s work on a New York police officer who died during the 9/11 attacks. The mayor of New York City defined the officer as a victim instead of a hero when his autopsy reviled that his death was unrelated to his work on the site of that tragic day. The mayor ruled this detective as not being a Hero, and supported his decision through the studies of sociologist Douglas V. Porpora. After the attacks on 9/11 the American populace raised numerous organizations to levels of heroism. These organizations were able to be labeled heroes, and individuals within them did not have to perform heroic to be considered as heroes. The studies concentrated on what is defined and makes a hero. The study comprised of interview of a population (Boyd). The population however could not come up with a control measure of what qualities make up a hero. This point of contention can showcase the varying degrees of what cultures consider heroes. On the contrary, the term of heroism defined by Webster’s dictionary hits on three major categories of heroism: Mythological or legendary figures, one who has great courage or noble qualities, or one who receives great admiration or

Pat Tillman utilized ‘selfless service’ by leaving a very lucrative career as an NFL player to serve a nation that was attacked by terrorism on a devastating level. During the time of his decision, he turned down 3.6 million dollars over a three year period (Carter). He showcased that he was willing to give everything up for an ideal to defend his people and country. His sacrifice illustrated an importance that likely moved others within the populace to move towards ‘a call to arms’ in defense of the nation. His sacrifice could be considered to others as non-heroic due to actions in battle that took his life by friendly-fire. However, he was able to retain the ‘Purple Heart’ medal which is only reserve for wounds sustained by the enemy. Pat Tillman would be classified as a hero within Webster’s due to notable qualities and a person who received great