|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Home - Local News Sports Obituaries Editorial Social Archives |
|||||||||
|
Editorial - April 2002 |
|||||||||
|
What makes a hero? April 15, 2002 - In today’s Reader’s Forum you will find the first of a sampling of letters we received from students in a ninth- grade English class at Lincolnton High School. They come by way of teacher Tammy Price, who was giving her students practice in writing an analytical essay and a formal business letter. The students had just read The Odyssey, in which a hero, Lord Odysseus, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to return to his homeland. So, the topic of heroism seemed to be an appropriate theme for a letter to the editor. Some like Roy Neill III, mentioned the firefighters and police officers who responded to the terrorists’ attacks at the World Trade Center. “Though many were lost during this time, many lives also were saved because of the courageous acts of these gallant men,” he wrote. Ryan Moore singled out Martin Luther King Jr. as a man who demonstrated what he considered a key characteristic of a hero — perseverance. The civil rights leader endured 10 years of harassment and spent time in jail but persevered. He will be remembered forever for his “I Have a Dream” speech. Ronald Mead has a more down-to-earth definition: a hero could be as simple as someone who always sticks by your side. He considers his mother a true hero. We wrote about this topic several months ago in a column that pointed out how many of today’s heroes seem to be in the sports world. The outpouring of affection for stock car racer Dale Earnhardt at the time of his death illustrated the huge appeal he had with fans. World class biker Lance Armstrong is known for his courageous battle with cancer while training and ultimately winning the Tour de France. But if you want to know about a REAL hero, learn about Congressional Medal of Honor winner Jerry Crump of Lincolnton, who demonstrated unbelievable bravery on a Korean battlefield in 1951 when he personally took out a large number of enemy soldiers during a brutal enemy attack and later dived on top of an exploding grenade to protect his comrades. There are many similar stories of heroism on the part of American soldiers who died for their country. The Lincolnton High students have their own, unique definitions of heroism. The views they expressed show a remarkable insight into the human spirit. We hope you will read them.
|
|||||||||
|
© 2001 Lincoln Times-News |
|||||||||
|
Home - Local News Sports Obituaries Editorial Social Archives |
|||||||||
|
|