Editorial December 15, 1986 Issue

Needed: heroes and heroines

William E. Moody

Some of the social commentary I've read has observed that in recent decades it was difficult to find many true heroes or heroines. And it has been said that there's a tangible value in having the real thing—that society can develop a stronger sense of purpose and often strives for higher goals when there are genuine models of heroism to emulate.

Although studies indicate that people are feeling they have more heroes and heroines to choose from today than in the 1960s and 1970s, still it's clear that many of the current candidates are merely of the comic-book variety or like those larger-than-life movie stars who seem able to accomplish any spectacular feat a special effects wizard can design. One recent survey of young people in the United States illustrated that among their top heroes were celebrities who typically portrayed rugged, stop-at-nothing, tough guys and glamorous "superwomen."

We might properly question just how beneficial is the influence of such "heroes," but there can be little doubt that examples of real heroism have sometimes had a profound effect on the direction of people's lives.

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