Obama's Public Support of Michael Vick

[JustJo]

I agree with you Aj about what constitutes a hero, but I venture to guess that suebee is right...and that most teenagers in the US know who Vick is, but have no clue about those you named.

I cringe that the "celebrities" I see teens emulating are (to my thinking) overpaid, arrogant, narcissists who contribute nothing of real value to our society.

[suebee]

To me Terry Fox was a hero. Maybe this is a totally Canadian reference, but many of you will know who I'm talking about. I don't get this sports hero or celebrity hero thing either, UNLESS they show extraordinary character in other areas of their lives. But it's a reality in our culture.

[Waldo]

Originally Posted by suebee

To me Terry Fox was a hero. Maybe this is a totally Canadian reference, but many of you will know who I'm talking about. I don't get this sports hero or celebrity hero thing either, UNLESS they show extraordinary character in other areas of their lives. But it's a reality in our culture.

I'm familiar with Terry Fox. I'm not sure I'd say hero there either, in the classi sense of the word. Extraordinary human? Certainly. Humanitarian? You bet. But I'm not sure that he did anything "heroic".

Then again I have a short list of "personal heroes" which includes Aimee Mullins because of the work that she's done to change the assumption that being differently abled means that you give up on beauty. If you haven't seen her TED talks, I encourage you to do so. They are amazing, as is she. So I think "hero" means different things to different people.

Okay, no, really... I gotta shower and get going.

[dreadgeek]

Originally Posted by JustJo

I agree with you Aj about what constitutes a hero, but I venture to guess that suebee is right...and that most teenagers in the US know who Vick is, but have no clue about those you named.

I cringe that the "celebrities" I see teens emulating are (to my thinking) overpaid, arrogant, narcissists who contribute nothing of real value to our society.

To be honest, I doubt that most American *adults* know who any of those people are except Einstein (who is the one scientist everyone knows). I would be shocked if most American women know who Franklin was or if most American queers know about Turing. I think that we, as parents, have to do a better job at teaching our children what traits are worthy of honor and emulation and what are not.

So let's say that Mr. Vick--not by NFL dictate but by public pressure--were never allowed to play football again. What then? Is there anyone here who doubts that no matter WHAT job he obtained someone would say "they hired Michael Vick, I'm never shopping/eating/patronizing that company ever again"? I am entirely unconvinced--based solely on what I have been reading here and on news sites--that there is any job that Mr. Vick could hold that would not result in a hue and cry. Notwithstanding some job that was so dangerous that to take it was to make one's death a certainty--clearing minefields with a sledgehammer, cleaning out the inside of hot nuclear reactors without the benefit of a suit, testing for gas fumes with a Zippo lighter--I doubt there's any kind or class of job for which people would say that Mr. Vick's crimes were not prima facie evidence of his unfitness.

Cheers
Aj