Heroes of the past: #5

Within the framework of post-modernist thinking, there's no room for the hero, the person of either sex who accomplishes something for the good of society out of true philanthropy or selflessness. Instead, the post-modernist posits, all who we tend to praise for having done heroic deeds, really only acted in pure self-interest. So, then, there haven't been - or will never be - any heroes whatsoever?

It's true that even the best among us come with flaws and weaknesses, but that does not exclude the possibility that a person may follow the 'call of duty' or act upon a noble impulse. In my view, there are daily scores of people who prove the post-modernist assumption wrong by committing acts worthy of mention: e.g. the grown-up who witnesses a child struggling to stay afloat in the ice-cold water, and who then, within the fraction of a second, decides to jump into the water herself to try to save the child.

How can anyone spurn such a heroic act by calling it self-serving? If the adult truly only wanted to act in her own interest, the only logical choice would be to stay put where she was. If survival of the fittest were a natural law, then no one would care for the victims of earthquakes, famines, epidemics or other types of disasters. We would all remain cynical, egotistical bystanders. Why? Because all that mattered would be our own survival.

There are heroes. And some of them deserve special attention. My first of five choices on this impromptu list of selfless people, is an American. Look at his photo above, and have a guess. Who was he, and what is he famous for? Thursday 14'th will disclose the name. Bonne chance until then.