Society is in great need of heroes

By Joshua Corcuera

 

Today, we celebrate National Heroes Day to pay homage to our country’s heroes. This is definitely a good time — given that we are in the midst of challenging times — to commemorate and remember the courageous and compassionate acts committed by these people during their lifetimes. But besides this, now that they’re no longer in this world, we must also emulate the universal values they imparted to our generation to make change possible for ourselves and those who are yet to be born in the face of the earth.

 

What makes a person a hero?

It is important to ask ourselves what makes a person a hero? Sure, there have been several heroes in our country who are clearly well-respected such as Rizal and Bonifacio. But there have also been controversial ones whose legacies are still debated up to this day. One definition we can all agree on what makes a hero, perhaps, is that he or she is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities which benefited society.

It is essential to take note as well that all heroes have flaws, because they are also human beings. And this, in fact, is the beauty of heroism because it resonates with us and gives us hope that our flaws do not prevent us from being a hero. In spite of our weaknesses, we can still use our strength to fight for a deserving cause. With this, anyone can be a hero, provided of course, that what we fight for and the sacrifices attached to this good cause outweigh our mortal flaws.

 

Anyone can be a hero and to be one is a tough choice

There are times when a person must prefer a meaningful death to a meaningless life. And this is where heroes are formed. Times of great crisis reveal both the best and the worst in humanity — as well as giving birth to heroes and villains. As society faces tougher challenges, being a hero requires tough decisions — a gargantuan task which requires enormous sacrifices. It is a no-brainer that blood, sweat and tears will be shed when someone decides to fight for worthy causes. There are some who even lost everything they had in life, and it is important to pay tribute to their sacrifices.

Furthermore, not all of the heroes we heard of are significantly aggrieved or affected tremendously by social upheavals. As a matter of fact, there are some heroes who can live comfortably even when they do not choose to be heroes. For instance, Rizal belonged to an affluent family, though they suffered from discrimination as they were not born from Spain. This serves as a testament to the fact that anyone can fight for the betterment of society as long as they’re willing to take the risks attached to it.

 

The 21^st century is in desperate need of heroes

Some people view heroes as a thing of the past, but there is still a need for such people in modern times. Heroes can be formed anywhere, anytime — especially during historic and unprecedented events such as the world we are currently living in. It is devastatingly clear that the 21^st century is facing several serious challenges such as climate change, widening inequality, armed conflict in various regions, geopolitical disputes, and systematic violation of human rights. In fact, these are only some of the problems and issues that more than seven billion living people currently encounter. And these challenges may be calling us to rise to the occasion and apply in the present what our heroes did in the past.

It is true that there are already heroes in our country in these challenging times — from frontliners fighting the pandemic to Filipinos working abroad, from teachers hiking for hours in mountains to the brave people resisting those who attack our sovereignty. There is no doubt that many people have already done a lot, but there’s still a lot of work to do. So as we commemorate National Heroes Day, may we also commit ourselves to fighting for good causes no matter the trials and tribulations. After all, to struggle for a better, brighter world in the present and in the future would be worth dying for.