Heroes of Today

Every country had its heroes. The heroes are the people the nations and especially the young people admire. If you get a list of the heroes of a nation, it will tell you the potential of that nation.

If today in America, you ask the high school students to list their heroes, their choices would probably fall into three groups. The first group of heroes would be the rock stars—the people associated with rock music. There is no doubt that such people do have talent but one wonders if one should hold up rock stars as models. The rock stars too often are involved with drugs and their personal lives are not all that good. The rock stars are rich and wear the latest fashion styles. However, one should seek more in a hero than such things as money and good clothes.

A second group of heroes for the American youth would be the sports stars. Again you have a person who has a great ability in one area—sports. However, too often the personal life of the sports star is a bit of a mess. Too frequently drugs and drinking are a part of the sports star's life.

A third group of heroes would be the TV or movie stars. This kind of people may have lots of acting talent and may be quite handsome. However, the personal life and conduct of too many actors are quite sad and they should not be held up as models for young people.

Today, the rock stars, the athletes, and the actors all have become the models of the youth in America. Really, do you hear a young person say that his hero is a doctor, a teacher, or a scientist? These people are not rich and do not wear fashionable clothes. However, they are talented people who work hard to make the world a better place for everyone.

What is really sad is that the young try to imitate their heroes. They like to wear the same clothes and follow their styles. If the heroes of today for the American youngsters are limited only to rock stars, athletes and actors, the future does not look too bright.