America has had many heroes in its history, there are many still today. Countless ordinary individuals from every walk of life voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way for others; a soldier jumps on a grenade to save his buddies; a passerby dives into a river to rescue a stranger. These are the selfless heroes. They are the ones we honor and want to emulate. George Floyd was not a hero. He was not a martyr. He did not voluntarily sacrifice his life for some noble cause. His life was not a role model for our children. His murder at the hands of the police was tragic, unnecessary and abhorrent. Thankfully, the guilty in this terrible deed are being justly punished. But George Floyd was not a hero. BLM has elevated him to that status because it gave life to its faltering movement, created momentum for its goals and seemingly gave license for egregious acts that has brought harm to many.
I don’t recognize much of America anymore. We seem to have lost our moral compass; too many decry our past and want to erase our history. Yes, there are chapters in the American story we profoundly regret; but there is also much of which we are justly proud and should always celebrate.
We do not promote the best interests of the Black community by repeatedly apologizing for past offences which we did not commit then and do not condone now, perpetrated by people we have never known and do not revere. I personally do not accept that every disadvantage the Blacks encounters is a racist act. Oh, yes, there has been and will always be some degree of racism involving every race, religion and color. While continuing strive to overcome all forms of racism we must also recognize that we are the product of our environments and our experiences. Everyone has biases and preferences. Regretfully, there is now and will always be some level of discrimination and sympathy for and against certain religions, ethnicities, genders, nationalities and even shapes and sizes. That is a reality with which we and every other country must continually grapple.
One overcomes racism against them by what they do for themselves, what they do for others and what they do for their community and their country. They achieve equality and inclusion by what they earn by their hard work, their perseverance and by what they contribute to society and to fellow man – – – not just by receiving preferential or exclusive treatment handed down from on high, regardless of how much special treatment may be warranted. I’m always reminded how the Jewish community fought persistent and widespread racism – – not by violence, not by public demonstrations, not by demands for inclusion or preferential attention, but by self-improvement, starting with a sustaining and cohesive family structure, by hard work and countless contributions to humanity.
Happily, the Black community has come a long way since the dark days of segregation and denial. Many have lifted themselves up to the highest levels in academia, in industry and in government. We applaud this. They are an integral part of the fabric of this country. Their participation and contributions are important, needed and recognized. Let’s not dishonor this progress by senseless demands, like defunding the police, altering our history or labeling any opposition to their leanings as a racist act.
The Islamic Shia religion has an annual commemoration called ‘Ashura’, remembering the assassination of Husayn Ibn Ali, the son of the 4th Caliph, when many adherents publicly bloody themselves in remorse. Let us stop berating and bloodying ourselves. We are making good progress in correcting mistakes of the past; we are a great and caring people, living in a great and compassionate country. We are blessed with countless genuine heroes. We have much to celebrate.
- – – – Just the view of a common man.
Views of a Common Man 
Spot on. So well written. Too bad so many people don’t understand who our real heroes are, including 99% of our policemen and policewomen.
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Very well said!
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I appreciate your comments and agree wholeheartedly. It is sad when someone with such a criminal history is made a martyr when there are so many others the BLM movement could applaud. I feel sad that his life ended in the way it did but I still don’t feel he should be held up as someone to be admired.
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Ollie’s comments “On Heroes” are thought-provoking. As the English actor, Tom Hiddleston, said,
“Every villain is a hero in his own mind.” Sadly it seems that to maintain a political position or financial
support in today’s America, we must always strive to be “politically correct” and practice appeasement
rather than disagree or even compromise. We are incrementally losing our integrity and freedom to
express opinions and ideas without fear of vilification, persecution or censorship.
WHO IS A HERO?
We certainly need to redefine the word “hero” if we praise as a hero and role model any individual who
was arrested and convicted several times on various drug and theft charges, and sentenced to five years
in prison on an aggravated robbery charge. Heroes and role models to be emulated do extraordinary things
in their everyday life; they do not strive for recognition, they do not want money, and they do not look for
chances to be a “Hero”. They have characteristics that are honorable, brave, smart, courageous, helpful,
and just. In general, they are role models who have integrity, loyalty, fortitude, and other important virtues
that promote good behavior, humbleness and morality.
DO THREATS EQUAL JUSTICE?
George Floyd’s death when investigated was considered a homicide. The tragic circumstances leading to his
death forever altered the lives of all those involved. Even before Derek Chauvin’s trial began, Mr. Floyd’s family received the largest ever pre-trial settlement in a wrongful death case. Is there any doubt that Officer Chauvin’s
fate was impacted by such a settlement, and his guilt already predetermined by threats of riotous protests? No surprise that the jury found him guilty on ALL three charges. The threats still remain pending the post-conviction sentencing, and the trial of three other officers at the scene who have been charged with aiding and abetting
second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. The revised concept of “guilty until proven innocent”
is now the legal norm.
DO RIOTOUS PROTESTS GUARANTEE DESIRED CHANGES?
Riotous protests do not guarantee a desired change. What they do guarantee are fundamental losses for
ALL people such as injury or death, damage to property, thefts, people who take advantage of the protest to
advance their own agendas, decline in the economy and economic prospects, unemployment, and disorder
in the society. Nevertheless we actually have some politicians who condone and encourage such behavior,
and even support the slogan of defunding the police! We are responsible for electing and re-electing these miscreants.
DOES SOCIETY NEED LAW ENFORCEMENT?
“My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place – police, firefighters and members of our armed forces.” (Sidney Sheldon). The Police Executive Research Forum,
a nonprofit devoted to law enforcement issues, found in a 2019 survey that over 40 percent of police
departments reported a shortage of available officers, and over 60 percent reported a decline in the number
of applications. There is no dispute that recruiting people of color and bilingual officers in 2021 is especially challenging, and more officers are now leaving for jobs outside law enforcement. Do we really want a society
where there are no police to protect the powerless and oppressed, or enforce public safety?
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