Nov 15, 2005 2 min read

This letter is about heroes and politicians. Webster defines a hero in part as “any man admired for his courage, nobility and exploits” and “any person regarded as an ideal or model.” I could regard as a “hero” any person who does his best under today’s trying conditions: a commuter waiting in traffic in Los Angles, Houston, Chicago, or New York, going to a job to fulfill his or her responsibilities in raising and supporting a family, in the face of skyrocketing costs of energy, housing, food, and just about everything else, because it is what he or she believes in, whether the job is in a restaurant, accounting firm, or factory; or a coal miner working hundreds of feet under the ground in Wyoming, West Virginia or Pennsylvania; or maybe a firefighter or policeman, who elected to work in a potentially dangerous career, because it is what they wanted to do with their life; or maybe the sailor, soldier, airman, Marine or National Guardsman, who decided they wanted to protect their beliefs by putting their life in harm’s way, when it was necessary.

My father was a personal hero to me, not only because he served in World War II, but because he worked in mines and factories for over 40 years, to support our family, while instilling in our family his beliefs in God, country, right and wrong.

What I find despicable is the current use and abuse of the word hero by our politicians to get emotions aroused, and to drum up support for themselves and their policies. I guess you can say they are using the word “hero” to be self-serving.

There are “heroes” all around us, everyday; let’s not make this word meaningless.

Paul J. Tomecek

Adah