Heros

he·ro

ˈhirō/

noun

1. 1.

   a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

I thought for a while about who I would nominate as a modern day "hero" after class discussion today.  After the discussion (that got a little heated!) about what does and does not constitute a hero in today's day and age, it was hard to know who to write about.  Although we had some classmates who said, for example, that because he wasn't an exemplary citizen by today's standards, Gilgamesh wouldn't be considered a hero, I was even more stumped.  I decided to write about a man I've always admired, Martin Luther King, Jr.  Even more fitting, as it is Black History Month.  To me, he is a modern day hero by any standards I can think of.  Not only does using nonviolent protest to convey your cause take an extreme amount of restraint, it sent the message to everyone he was fighting for and everyone he was fighting against that they were against their violence and abuse.  Martin Luther King, Jr. sent a message of hope to thousands of african-americans throughout the American South and North that their cause was worth fighting for and their lives were worth fighting for.  He preached hope and then acted on it.  In the end, even more heroically, he was killed the for cause he was fighting for.  I do not necessarily think becoming a martyr for your cause is required to be a hero, but I certainly think that it eliminated any shadow of a doubt the integrity and conviction you held for your cause, and helps show others the value of the cause you were fighting for.  To me, this is the kind of man we should consider a hero.