Hero’s are lacking
Do you have a hero? I don’t.
I am not talking about a hero in the form of a favorite movie
superstar or a sports champion. I am not referring to a hero in the
form of a colleague, a professor or a teammate. I am not even
talking about a hero in the form of a parent, a sibling, or a
friend. I am sure heroes can be found in all of these areas of
life, but I am not talking about any of these kind of heroes. I am
talking about a political hero. An old fashion, out-dated type of
hero that I am beginning to believe has gone out of style.
Politicians on both sides of the aisle, on every side of every
possible political spectrum, are letting me down, leaving me
desperate. I want a politician who not only gains my vote, but a
politician who gains my trust and allows me to feel proud to have
cast my vote in their name, for their cause. I don’t see any
politician out there today who can do that. I don’t see a single
politician today who even comes close to being my political
hero.
I need a politician who represents me, not necessarily my
interests. I mean, sure, it would be great if there were an honest
man or woman out there, who felt exactly the way I do on every
political topic. From domestic and social issues to foreign policy,
this person would vote exactly the way I would, if put in their
position, on every issue, but this type of political romanticism is
unreasonable. I just want a politician who has a conscious, feels
much compassion for the less fortunate, has a sense of honor and
dignity, and believes in education and the general well-being of
all people, everywhere. I want to vote for a politician who is more
concerned with their morals than their quest for re-election, a
person more dedicated to ethics than political stature, a chair on
a committee or reputation.
I want a politician who would rather leave an elected position
than pander to big business, labor unions, the NRA, the ACLU or any
other politically persuasive person, group or association. Is it
too much for me, for all Americans, to ask to be represented by
politicians who base their vote upon the issue at hand and not upon
an upcoming re-election or outside financing or influence? I don’t
think so, but this type of politician does not exist. Maybe my
youth leads me to na�ve assumptions about politics and how
the political structure wasn’t always this way.
I look back to famous names like Roosevelt, Lincoln and
Washington, all men who have become national, historical, and
political heroes to so many Americans today. And then I look to the
names of politicians today, none of which scream to me, none of
which appeal to a full and complete sense of civic duty. The
difference is painfully obvious. Every election I have voted in,
and every candidate I see emerging in the upcoming election in
2004, is not a political hero, but more a choice between a lesser
of two evils.
Do you have a political hero? A favorite politician whose poster
you have hanging on your bedroom wall next to a poster of John
Elway or Brittany Spears? I wish I could say I do. Unfortunately,
the only image of elected officials people have is the one on the
front page of the newspaper, or the one beaming from the television
set in the family room. (If you would like a picture of your
elected official go to their official Web site for a free portrait
to be sent to you.)
I hope that someday a politician will emerge who is honest, who
doesn’t pander to anyone and who I can feel proud to hang a poster
of in my family room. I hope someday a candidate will emerge who is
not a politician, but a political hero as well.
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