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IN THE DICTIONARY IT DEFINES "HERO" AS A PERSON DISTINGUISHED FOR EXCEPTIONAL COURAGE, FORTITUDE, OR BRAVERY. A NICE DEFINITION. BUT I ONCE ASKED SOMEONE I CONSIDERED TO BE A HERO HOW HE WOULD DEFINE IT AND HE SAID, "A HERO IS SIMPLY SOMEONE WHO DOES WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, EVEN WHEN THEY WISH THERE WAS SOME OTHER WAY TO DO IT." I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT'S HOW I'D RESPOND BUT WE NEVER REALLY KNOW UNTIL WE'RE FACED WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I GUESS THAT'S WHAT MAKES HEROES SO SPECIAL. UNFORTUNATELY PEOPLE NOW DAYS TEND TO CONFUSE HEROES WITH CELEBRITIES. ANYBODY WHO'S FAMOUS SEEMS TO BE GIVEN A CERTAIN STATUS WITHOUT US EVER ASKING WHY THEY'RE FAMOUS. AS IF PEOPLE KNOWING WHO THEY ARE IS SOME KIND OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. AS A GREAT HISTORIAN ONCE SAID, "CELEBRITIES ARE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THE NEWS. HEROES ARE PEOPLE WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE." YES, IF WE JUST KNEW HOW TO LOOK PAST ALL THE FAMOUS PEOPLE, WE WOULD SEE THERE ARE PLENTY OF HEROES STILL AROUND. AND EVEN IF THEY DON'T ALWAYS LOOK LIKE WHAT WE MIGHT EXPECT THEM TO, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE WHAT THEY DID. AND GOD PLEASE HELP US IF WE EVER FORGET THOSE WHO FOUGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY AND WHAT THEY SACRIFICED. LET THEIR MEMORY ALWAYS REMIND US, THAT... "FREEDOM AIN'T FREE" |