In this post, I'd like to hear about the American heroes you admire and why. If you can, please provide examples of their heroism. I'll go first:
I first heard Pete when my wife — then my college girlfriend — and I went on our first date to...where else? A Pete Seeger concert! But Pete's not just a folk music hero in my house; he's also a man of tremendous principle, who has truly lived his convictions. Some examples: He married a Japanese woman in the 1940's when our country was throwing over a hundred thousand Japanese-Americans (most U.S. citizens) in prison camps. He fought tirelessly for civil rights, singing with the great African-American baritone, Paul Robeson, when it nearly cost him his life. He inspired many famous civil rights leaders, including Julian Bond, who credits Seeger for opposing Jim Crow laws long before "the Movement" really got underway. Pete even wrote some of the lyrics to "We Shall Overcome." He fought for unions and for the common working man — and woman (since he also advocated equality among the sexes). Check out his song "I'm Gonna Be an Engineer" on our homepage virtual iPod (below, right column). Last, Seeger traveled the world, recording and archiving world music like no one had ever done before.
For these actions he was branded a Communist and banned from appearing on TV for 17 years just when he had reached the height of his popularity. When the ban was finally lifted he shocked everyone by singing an anti-Vietnam War song called "The Big Muddy." Since then he has sung to end apartheid in South Africa and almost single-handedly galvanized efforts to clean-up the Hudson River. He's 93 now, but as recently as three years ago he was nominated for yet another Grammy Award in the category of folk music.
22 comments:
I am not trying to be cliche, but the first name that pops into my head when I hear "American hero" is Barack Obama. Before everyone jumps on my back about politics, I am not praising him for his political decisions, rather for the boundaries he has crossed to better the country. Similar to Mr. Pete Seeger actively trying to end the Apartheid, Obama has broken a race barrier in politics that has never been done - he was the first Black American to become the President. To me, it is truly inspirational and impressive to break that kind of trend. That shows to me that America truly is a country that is moving away from the troubles we have had in the past.
Secondly, Obama recently became the first President to openly support gay marriage. This is just another example of his how he breaks barriers that have long been in place. This represents an American ideal for me - liberty and justice for all, and proves that Obama is going to great lengths to ensure that is enforced.
I really admire President Abraham Lincoln, who was in office during the Civil War. He had to be the President of a divided nation and find a way to put it back together. He faced tremendous amounts of criticism for his strategies, but despite the disapproval he was able to abolish slavery and bring the country together again. Who knows what could have happened if he hadn't been elected? Would someone else have stood his ground and denied civil liberties to the population of the North for the greater good of the country? Whether it was right of him to suspend Habeas Corpus or deny freedom of the press is questionable today. We are discussing issues like this in our Perilous Times projects. For example,
"Lincoln ordered the two newspapers closed and their owners arrested and imprisoned", the two newspapers being Copperhead press publications. (http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/civil-war-tested-lincolns-tolerance-for-free-speech-press).
If Lincoln hadn't taken such actions, the country could still be divided today. He stood up for what he though was the right thing to do, which is why I admire him.
I have to admit that I may be in agreement with the United States Government's decision to put a 17 year ban on his television publicity during the height of his career. Because he was in the height of his career, his amount of followers surely were near their peak as well, meaning his influence would have been the greatest over the largest number of people; a scary situation for the United States Government. For these reasons, am in agreement with his "Communist" label because his songs could have very well been considered seditious.
Of course, Mr. Seeger is extremely passionate about what he does, but I don't think that he should defy and speak out (or sing in this case) against the views of the Government. This does walk a fine line between First Amendment Rights being violated however. He does have freedom of speech, but must be sure not to make his songs seditious in any way.
My "American hero" is Steve Jobs. Although he may not have been a president, peacemaker, or civil liberties advocate, I cannot deny to myself that he probably is one of my most inspirational figures. As a child, Jobs rebelled against school. He dropped out of college. He was a major "druggie." Despite being an outsider, he founded Apple in his garage, selling and making computers by hand. As the company became more successful, Jobs style of not wearing deodorant or showing up to meetings barefoot made him seem radical and out of place. Jobs was dismissed of being a serious businessman by many, and he left his own company, in the late 80s, because of disagreements with the board of directors. Jobs then went on to found Pixar. But a few year later, when Apple eventually headed into some trouble, Jobs was brought back, and he wasted no time. He revolutionized music with iTunes and iPod. He made computers beautiful in a unibody frame and easy to use software. He changed the phone market forever with the iPhone. And, most recently, the iPad has changed the way kids learn, teachers teach, and the consumer surfs the web.
The point I'm making is that here you have a man who never gave up in his search for perfection. He was not out to make money; he only made 1 dollar per year at Apple. Jobs wanted to be the best. Jobs wanted to make the best product. Jobs' goal was to help the consumer. His philosophy of never giving up and his determination for perfection motivates me to be the best I can be.
I would have to disagree with your comment Andrew. This follows along really closely with our perilous times presentations, and what type of rights one should have during war times. Seeger never directly said he supported communism, and he shouldn't have to limit his music capabilities just because he has too many followers and the government doesn't like that. He should be able to voice his opinions, and deserves every follower he gets for his great music.
Going along with the theme of musicians, one American hero should be Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen sang (and still does sing) during times where there was much controversy within our country. He was never afraid to voice his opinion, and as a result (along with his great songs) he has an extraordinary amount of followers and is considered one of the best artists of all time. One song that had a lot of influence in our country was "Born in the USA". This song was released during the Vietnam War, and is commonly misunderstood as being a patriotic song that supports America and its cause. In fact, this song talks about the horrors of the war and how it has a negative impact on American families and soldiers (look up the lyrics). Because of this willingness to voice his opinion in a time when not everyone was allowed to voice their opinions (Seeger), Springsteen is one of my American heroes.
SImilar to Zach when I think of an American hero, I don't think of a President or peacemaker, instead I think of a pilot. This pilot that I am referring to is named Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger. This pilot preformed a mission that MSNBC called "A Miracle on the Hudson". It was something that he had no way of preparing for, it was just simply what he did in a moment of danger (similar to what you do when someone yells "Fire" in a crowded theatre (similar to the Schnook v. United States "Shouting Fire" primary source from WWI). You must choose your next actions). This pilot safely landed a crowded jetliner on the Hudson River, shortly after birds flew into the wings. This pilot not only followed the American value of saving lives, but he also made it his mission to protect everyone. This value of protecting the whole, is an American value that goes along with the concept of grace under pressure. Pilot Sullenberger did all of these things, and emerged from this situation as a national hero because he saved all 155 passengers. He later wrote a memoir, "Highest Duty, My Search for What Really Matters". The title of this book alone explains to you Pilot Sullenberger's view on life, and how he put others before himself. He didn't land the plane in the Hudson to become a hero, he landed it to save lives. This in my opinion is a true American Hero.
Zach, I agree with you completely that Steve Jobs was an inspiration figure who revolutionized our world with his technology and Ideas. However, I think there are aspects of Steve Jobs that prevent him from being considered a "true American hero" in my eyes. Although, he technically only had a salary of 1$ per year, he still had an estimated fortune of $8 billion from shares in Apple and Pixar and was given a $90 million jet. Also, Jobs has been frequently criticized for his lack of charitable contributions. For a man to say he didn't care about money, seems to me like a better reason to donate it. I do deeply admire Steve Jobs' contributions to the world with his company, he really could have done alot of good in the world with his money.
As charity and community service are a big part of my life, I personally see a man like John D. Rockefeller as a true American hero. An American business man, like Jobs, who changed the oil industry and became America's first billionaire. He spent the last 40 years of his life in retirement and became one of the most influential philanthropists in American history. He donated over half a billion dollars--$8 billion in today's dollars. His contributions helped eradicate sickness such as yellow fever and hookworm, and he funded the startup of the University of Chicago; one of the world's most reputable schools. University of Chicago has done some incredible things on their own not to mention. I personally think John Rockefeller is one of the most influential American heroes, for his work in American industry and philanthropy who has inspired many to realize their fortunate lives, and make a great difference in our world.
I agree that all of the above are very influential people that have helped shaped our country, but I noticed something quite interesting. All eight posts above say that their "American Hero" is a male. I wonder if that is a coincidence or there is something deeper. If this is not a mere coincidence is there a reason that there are more men "heros" than women? Does anyone think there have been women heroes?
There are so many Americans who inspire me, so its hard to choose just one American hero. I wanted to respond initially to Hannah's comment about how many of our American heroes seem to be men. Personally, I have a very eclectic variety of American women and men whom I admire, including Gloria Steinem, Woody Allen, Hillary Clinton, and Thomas Jefferson, not to mention my dad, Paul Gazzolo (I would mention my mother, but she's not American). I think it's easy to find both American women and men to admire, so it would be upsetting if someone thought they just didn't know of American women to look up to. However, I think our class is able to look past gender when talking about inspirational people. Just like the fact that few women were talked about in our Perilous Times presentations, it isn't an intentional thing. We just have certain people in mind when thinking about who inspires us. But that statement is just referring to our American Studies class. . . I'm sure there are other instances where this question has been asked, and people didn't name inspirational women because of ignorance or unawareness, which is upsetting.
Hannah, you bring up a great point about all of the above “American Heroes” being men. Because men have had more rights than women throughout all of American history, I think this may put them on a pedestal more so than women. Yet, when I think of a true American hero Eleanor Roosevelt is the first name that pops to my mind. I have read an autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt and recall so much good that she has brought to people of America.
She is best known for helping make the Universal Declaration of Human Rights accepted by the United Nations. When we think of the name Roosevelt, Franklin (FDR) usually comes to mind, her husband who became the President of the United States in 1932. He contracted polio and she nursed him back to the point where he was able to continue his political career. She frequently advocated for a number of women’s groups, giving speeches on human rights and women’s issues. She was truly ahead of her time. Who would of thought that a woman would be speaking of women’s rights in the 1930s, especially the President’s wife!? I also think this is interesting that Eleanor Roosevelt came to mind because coincidentally, for the oral history project I interviewed a woman from the North Shore area who does the exact same thing on local terms—advocating for women’s rights, choice and the under-privileged. Her actions seem to parallel very well with Eleanor’s. Roosevelt also became an advocate for the country’s “poor and disadvantaged.” She spoke out when others wouldn’t. Eleanor Roosevelt had a great impact on American history, but I do think it is important to realize and be able to see heroes in our everyday life, such as the woman I got to know—“the ordinary hero.”
Responding to Hannah's comment about the "American Heros" being male, it reminds me of a conversation I had with Maddie after her Perilous Times project. We were just talking after class on our way to Kinetic Wellness about her presentation of the role of women during World War I. She said that only two of the women she presented on were part of the required content, but she felt she needed to talk about all of them. Maddie also pointed out that in all the other groups the went, they only talked about the male influence of the time.
During the previous Perilous Times (the Quasi War and the Civil War) women were not able to hold government office. Therefore, regarding legislature and politics, women could have a role.
Then thinking about the "American Hero" it sadly makes sense to me that we tend to think of men, because they were the only people that could hold power. It was only recently that women could hold office.
So when thinking about the "American Hero", I believe we have to consider the view of women during each phase of history.
Hannah, I also noticed how all of the heroes that have been listed have been men. I think that men are often times seen as more influential figures than woman because they have clearly had more opportunity to be in positions of power.
That said, I think Lily gave a great example of one of the many woman "American heroes," Eleanor Roosevelt. I also agree with Maddie, who mentioned that Hillary Clinton is an "American hero." Clinton has been the First Lady, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, and is now Secretary of State. She helped found the Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Adoption and Safe Families Act, and the Foster Care Independence Act. Clinton works to increase women power throughout the world and has traveled to an incredible amount of countries. While Hillary Clinton has an amazing number of accomplishments already, I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for this outstanding woman.
My hero is definitely Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez became one of the best known Latino Civil Rights Activists in the country during the 1970s. During the 1970s, Cesar worked hard by non-violently protesting with Fillipino American Farm workers who wanted higher wages for their work on the grape vines in California. In 1968 he fasted for 25 days to help ensure that his protests were done non-violently, similarly to Martin Luther King Jr, and Mohandis Gandhi. Chavez's protests and work with farm workers helped with the founding of the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers. Chavez was awarded The Presidental Medal of Freedom posthumously. His admirable work led to improvements in the treatment of union laborers. He is a true American hero who put his own well-being in second to ensure that his cause was righteously fulfilled.
I agree with Tom when saying that Seeger was unfairly limited in regards to his music. His opinions should not have been silenced just because they may have been different from those of the government. I believe that it is 100% within his first ammendment rights to speak out against what he believes in.
I also love the point that Hannah brought up. When googling American Heroes, one has to google something along the lines of "American Women Heroes" to produce results about influential women. In my opinion, people like Rosa Parks, Gabrielle Giffords, Harriet Tubman, should come up immediately when American Hero is searched for. Although when clicking on the first link there is a list of American Heroes that includes women, why should there even be a distinction between male and female heroes? To me, if you risk your life for a cause that you feel is noble, your heroism is just regardless of your gender.
One last thing that amazes me about the english language is that there are two different words for hero: Hero and Heroine. Why must there be a distinction between genders?
Gabe, I find your list of people that should come up when you search american heroes interesting. Especially Gabrielle Giffords. While I do respect her as a congress woman and a gun shot survivor, I don't believe we should call that heroism. She didn't take the bullet to save someone else, and we probably hadn't even heard about her before the incident. Therefore, I think we have to distinguish between having respect for someone, and calling them a hero.
To be honest, I 100% agree with you. I was surprised to see Gabrielle Giffords as a heroine, but she came up on google many times when American heros was searched. I definitely agree that she is a respectable woman but I believe that her journey back to living a normal life after being so near-death is grounds for calling her somewhat of a hero.
I'm going to agree with what AJ said in the very first comment. I can't think of many people better for this title than Barack Obama. Whether you agree with his politics or not, he has made history by being the first non-caucasian president. I will never forget how proud I felt of this country when he won the election in 2008. I'm proud that this country has finally overcome racism enough to accept him as president, and I'm proud that I had the opportunity to live in the generation that got to see this happen. He has crossed the biggest boundary, besides gender, that any candidate could have: race. He has also showed how open minded he is by, like AJ said, being the first president to support gay marriage. Especially with the election coming up that same year, he risked many people's approval of him to do what he beleived was right. I think standing up for what you beleive in and crossing a boundary such as Obama did is what makes a hero.
Alluding to Hannah's point about no mentions of women, there are also no mentions of athletes. Sports are a big part of society and many fans are crazy about their teams. One person that I find to be an American hero is Jackie Robinson. African Americans were originally only allowed to play baseball in the Negro Leagues. Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Despite being one of the best players in the Negro League, only one MLB team wanted him. He defied the odds and went on to have a great career winning the MVP in 1949 and inspired many other African Americans and minority races to play sports. In the 1940's the MLB was almost all white. Now, white players don't make up a very big percentage of the MLB. The influence of this man is unrivaled in baseball and sports in general. Another example is the NBA. There are very few white basketball players. Without Robinson, this may not have been possible. The MLB has a day honoring Robinson where everybody wears his number, 42. He deserves this recognition and also deserves consideration for being an American hero.
When I first saw this post, my thoughts went immediately to Bruce Springsteen. Unfortunately, to Tom's credit, he was already mentioned. So I suppose I'll have to "settle" for another American hero.
As GLD briefly touched upon, I think that Martin Luther King Jr. is an American Hero. His work in the Civil Rights Movement and unwavering commitment to nonviolence distinguished him as a truly outstanding individual. While the Civil Rights Movement would have undoubtedly occurred without him, MLK Jr helped direct the largely nonviolent direction it took. His strong advocacy of nonviolence in the midst of violent groups like the KKK and the Black Panthers provided a sound base to the Civil Rights Movement. He was also one of the greatest public speakers in American history and could unite people behind a cause like few others. His work helped achieve equal rights for African Americans in the USA; that is why he is an American Hero and one of the few non-presidents with a holiday in his honor.
From a U.S. working-class point of view, I think musicians/singers like Joe Hill, Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson, Joan Baez and Phil Ochs or Utah Phillips might be considered as heroic as Pete (as well as more politically radical). And, in the political world, I think folks like Ralph Nader, Leonard Peltier, Eugene Debs, Martin Luther King, Abbie Hoffman, Mario Savio, Cindy Sheehan, Bill Haywood, etc. would be considered as heroic as Pete by most anti-war folks in the USA.
Thanks for all these thoughtful comments, y'all. I wonder now if the people we choose as heroes say as much about ourselves as they do the heroes. I also think the presence (and absence) of women from the historical record is especially interesting here. Last point: some have speculated that we live in a cynical era that cannot allow for heroes. Your terrific list suggests otherwise.
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