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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 2001)
Wednesday Editor in chief: Jack Clifford Managing Editor: Jessica Blanchard Newsroom: (541) 346-5511 Room 300, Erb Memorial Union P.O. box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: ode@oregon.uoregon.edu EDITORIAL EDITOR: MICHAEL J. KLECKNER opededitor@journalist.com The makings of real heroes CRIBBLES OF ANITY JAYNA BERGERSON The saying, “Heroes are born, not made,” sounds as if, in order to be a hero, one must have genetically perfect parents and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. In reality, most real heroes are very human. And not only are they human, but they also have no clue that they are heroes. For to be a hero or heroine, all that matters is hard work, courage and the right motivation. ^ Martin Luther King Jr. stands as a proud example of what it takes to be a hero. King was “a man of exceptional quality, who wins admiration by deeds of courage,” which is one dictionary’s definition of a hero. King’s fame has lasted 33 years, and it is sure to last many more. His message changed the heart of a generation of peo ple. But he was born, as is every man and woman. His birthplace and childhood home was 501 Auburn Ave. in Atlanta, Ga. It. was a simple house, not a mansion. His father was a minister, not a superhero. One thing that made King a hero in the eyes of the American people was his de sire for change. But the key point is that he allowed this dream to transform itself into action that worked toward realizing the desired change. King didn’t keep his dream to himself. He could have, but he didn’t. He shared his dream with anyone who would listen. And in 1963, on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washing ton, D.C., King proclaimed to 250,000 peo ple, “I have a dream that one day this na tion will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” He had found others who shared his dream, and together they took steps to see that dream realized. This is the work of a hero. But not only was he a man of vision who compelled others to action, King was also a man of hard work. He and his supporters had to bleed, sweat, cry and pray to achieve that which they believed was worthwhile. All the sit-ins, speeches, marches, rallies and protests didn’t or ganize themselves. They took time and planning. King was arrested numerous times. In April 1963, he spent 11 days in jail. During this time, he did not wallow in self-pity. Rather, he wrote a letter to clergymen in Birmingham, Ala., to defend his methods and the purpose behind doing things his way. In essence, he fought for his vision from behind bars. Above all else, King fought for what he believed against a tidal wave of op position from whites and blacks. Some respected and admired him, but there were many more people who hated him, criticized him and laughed at him. Some even wanted him dead. It is easy to stand for some thing that everyone else believes in, but when you stand alone, you prove your worth. Every year on the third Monday in January, we honor King’s birthday. Back in 1986, when Congress de clared a holiday in remembrance of King, the official document stated, “Such holiday should serve as a time for Americans to reflect on the prin ciples of racial equality and nonvio lent social change espoused by Mar tin Luther King Jr.” We celebrate the hero that King has become and the dream that he defended to his death. Many people idolized King, not realizing that he was just a man with a vision of what could be. And he had the guts and determi nation to see that dream realized at the cost of his own life. And thanks to his courage and self-sac rifice, that dream lives on. That’s what it takes to be a hero. Jayna Bergerson is a columnist for the Oregon Daily Emerald. Her views do \ not necessarily represent those of the Emerald. She can be reached at bjay@gladstone.uoregon.edu. Giovanni Salimena Emerald Letters to the editor Striving to live up to principles Bravo to Michael Kleckner for outlining his personal and political struggle with drug testing ("Testing the limits of my Principles,” ODE, Jan. 10). I admit I've peed in a fair share of cups because my ambition burned brighter than my prin ciples, so I admire Kleckner for turning down a prestigious in ternship opportunity last year to protest the drug test. And I also admire him for taking the drug test this year because, on balance, this year's internship opportunity is too good to pass up. At least he's raising the ques tions and coming up with an swers — and a moral scale — he can live with. Almost all University stu dents heading into the work world are probably going to face the little plastic cup. Some studies estimate as many as 80 percent of American compa nies,. require drug testing as a condition of employment. So whether the issue is one of principle for you — or whether you think you might fail a drug test if you had to take one — start thinking about it now. Pam Cytrynbaum visiting assistant professor of journalism internship coordinator CONTACT US1 The Oregon Daily Emerald welcomesand will attempt to print all letters on topics of interest to the Universi ty community. Letters are limited to 250 words. The Emerald rmay edit any letter for length, clarity, gram mar, style and libel. Letters may be mailed, dropped off at EMU Suite 300, or e-mailed to the addresses at the top of the page. Also, please feel free to give your feedback to any individual story or column directly at our Web site. Feedback comments may appear in print at our discretion. Keep in touch!
