Sunny topic for a sunny Friday.  These can be fictional or real, who cares.  No answer is too dumb.  I would suggest that people don't give each other too hard a time about their choices, even if they're all dictators or televangelists.

 

A few of mine:

 

Ronald Reagan, Captain Kirk, Bernie Kosar, Ayn Rand/Neil Peart (viewed as a couple), Optimus Prime, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, JRR Tolkien, Tecumseh, Teddy Roosevelt

My Grandfather (my fathers father)

My Mom

I don't know that I really have any heroes.  I mean, certainly not in the respect where I single someone out and think, "Oh man, that person is amazing.  I want to be just like them."

 

There are people that have made positive impressions on my life, for sure, and there are are people who I hold in very high regard.  I suppose you could look at them as being heroes.  Aside from various friends and family (which wouldn't be much fun to list, as no one here would know them), most of people I'm trying to think of are actually either political figures or commentators.  Which, if you think about it, really isn't that much to list either...

 

 

 

For most people, I think family and religious figures can be assumed as influences.  But if they're particularly important to someone, it's still worth saying.

Rather than a list, which really doesn't mean anything to anyone except you, I think it would be more interesting to list someone who has influenced you or impressed you ("hero" has ridiculous connotations to me) and explain why.  For example, to me, Tolkien is just an author, albeit a very fine one, just like other fine authors.  But why do you view him as a "hero?"

 

And I don't think family "heroes" can be assumed either.  I'd love to know why MTS considers his paternal grandfather and his mother heroes, for instance, that is probably an interesting story.

Good points.  A list is just one way to approach it.

 

As to Tolkien, and this would apply to any author or artist, he made good points that millions of people took to heart.  In doing so I think he improved the world.  Ironically, one thing I credit Tolkien with is helping to redefine "hero."  It isn't necessarily an exceptional talent who shows up at just the right time (Obama), it can be some average nobody who finds themself in entirely the wrong situation, yet pulls through.  These people are often not well known, and LOTR is a tribute to all of them. 

 

I realize that all just sounded very corny.  I guess I don't see this as too different from saying what bands you like.  The same band will have different meanings, or no meaning, to different people.

Rather than a list, which really doesn't mean anything to anyone except you, I think it would be more interesting to list someone who has influenced you or impressed you ("hero" has ridiculous connotations to me) and explain why. For example, to me, Tolkien is just an author, albeit a very fine one, just like other fine authors. But why do you view him as a "hero?"

 

And I don't think family "heroes" can be assumed either. I'd love to know why MTS considers his paternal grandfather and his mother heroes, for instance, that is probably an interesting story.

 

For myself, and I apologize in advance to the more conservative posters on the board, here's who makes my list:

 

Michael Moore - I respect the bejeezus out of the guy.  He's not afraid to express his views, regardless of whether or not they're popular at the time or venue.  And regardless of whether or not people agree with him, I don't think anyone can say that he's not trying to help the average joe.

 

Keith Olbermann - Much for the same reasons as Michael Moore, I have an immense respect for Olbermann for being on air five nights a week, to stick it to the people who need it stuck to, and making me laugh along the way.  Fiercely intelligent and quick witted. 

 

And actually, I'm realizing that now that if I continued, I'd be listing 90% of MSNBC's lineup (Rachel Maddow, Chris Matthews), which is pretty boring.  You get the picture.

Rather than a list, which really doesn't mean anything to anyone except you, I think it would be more interesting to list someone who has influenced you or impressed you ("hero" has ridiculous connotations to me) and explain why.  For example, to me, Tolkien is just an author, albeit a very fine one, just like other fine authors.  But why do you view him as a "hero?"

 

And I don't think family "heroes" can be assumed either.  I'd love to know why MTS considers his paternal grandfather and his mother heroes, for instance, that is probably an interesting story.

 

Interesting and long.  Short version:  My grandfather is the true family patriarch.  He's always been there for us kids no matter what.  He's never been afraid to speak his mind and always challenges us to be better than expected and to strive and reach for more.  Simply being "here" has never been enough for him.  His stories are always great.

 

My mother for different reasons.  The fact that in one day she decided to move from PR in 1 hour, because my grandfather told her that he had "promised" her and my aunt to be married to two guys they didn't really know.  My grandmother didn't know.  So they left PR, moved to Miami then to Cleveland.  The rest is history.

 

Also, my former boss, is a hero as well.  I've learned so much from him and he's opened up so many doors for.  I'm just upset he's no longer here.

Captain America (Steve Rogers).  I teared up a bit when I heard he was going to die.  Yeah there have been other Captain Americas (quite a few actually), but none remotely like him.

 

There are bunch of reasons I find him heroic.

 

He, despite being an incredibly frail and sickly young man, volunteered for the service in World War 2.

 

He took a drug to give him top human abilities even though the drug could have killed him.

 

His entire outfit just speaks of patriotism and honor.

 

His shield represents how we need to defend ourselves from our enemies.

 

The guy fought freaking Nazis.

 

He inspired a whole generation of superheroes.

 

When he was recovered from ice, he immediately returned to defending America.  There was no timeout, no break.  Just back to business.

 

He led the greatest team of all time, the Avengers, and even though there were other leaders in its various incarnations, Captain America was always the top guy.

 

Even when he was disgusted by the US government's vile actions, he still defended the country, albeit no longer as Captain America but instead as 'Nomad'.

 

He helped lead a number of superheroes against Dr. Doom, who had become godlike. Captain America died/was reincarnated numerous times doing it, but he never gave up.

 

He stood face to face with Thanos (super villain) who was at the time more or less GOD, and Captain America refused to flinch.  He then died (but quickly after reincarnated).

 

He sacrificed himself to Onslaught (super villain) knowing full well he would die (he was later discovered to actually be in an alternate universe).

 

He chose to fight the government after they posted a terrible and emotionally manipulated law.  That made him a sort of villain to many people, but what he did was still righteous to me because the law essentially promoted enslavement of those with superpowers.

 

He gave himself up when he realized (erroneously IMO) that he was wrong.  That still takes balls to admit something like that.

 

He was martyred after an assassin (his brainwashed girlfriend) murdered him.

 

He wasn't always the most noticeable comic hero (not even top 10) and I doubt a lot of casual/non fans know that much about him, but there was something very true to his character.  He believed in America and would/die for it repeatedly.

 

 

 

 

 

Captain America (Steve Rogers). I teared up a bit when I heard he was going to die. Yeah there have been other Captain Americas (quite a few actually), but none remotely like him.

 

There are bunch of reasons I find him heroic.

 

He, despite being an incredibly frail and sickly young man, volunteered for the service in World War 2.

 

He took a drug to give him top human abilities even though the drug could have killed him.

 

His entire outfit just speaks of patriotism and honor.

 

His shield represents how we need to defend ourselves from our enemies.

 

The guy fought freaking Nazis.

 

He inspired a whole generation of superheroes.

 

When he was recovered from ice, he immediately returned to defending America. There was no timeout, no break. Just back to business.

 

He led the greatest team of all time, the Avengers, and even though there were other leaders in its various incarnations, Captain America was always the top guy.

 

Even when he was disgusted by the US government's vile actions, he still defended the country, albeit no longer as Captain America but instead as 'Nomad'.

 

He helped lead a number of superheroes against Dr. Doom, who had become godlike. Captain America died/was reincarnated numerous times doing it, but he never gave up.

 

He stood face to face with Thanos (super villain) who was at the time more or less GOD, and Captain America refused to flinch. He then died (but quickly after reincarnated).

 

He sacrificed himself to Onslaught (super villain) knowing full well he would die (he was later discovered to actually be in an alternate universe).

 

He chose to fight the government after they posted a terrible and emotionally manipulated law. That made him a sort of villain to many people, but what he did was still righteous to me because the law essentially promoted enslavement of those with superpowers.

 

He gave himself up when he realized (erroneously IMO) that he was wrong. That still takes balls to admit something like that.

 

He was martyred after an assassin (his brainwashed girlfriend) murdered him.

 

He wasn't always the most noticeable comic hero (not even top 10) and I doubt a lot of casual/non fans know that much about him, but there was something very true to his character. He believed in America and would/die for it repeatedly.

 

Yay, comics!

Hmm.. I guess for me it would be Voltaire, George Orwell, Willy Brandt, various figures in the gay movement, and for fictional characters Jean-Luc Picard.

 

 

These are people that at one time I called heroes

 

Che Guevara, Mom & Dad, Grandmas, Fidel, He-Man, Joe Carter & Cory Snyder, Mark Price (Only mom, dad, and grandmas are still on the list).

I was big on He-Man growing up but I liked Transformers and GI Joe the most.  Wasn't Hasbro based out of Cincinnati at the time?  Was it ever/is it still?  Cartoons in general were a big influence on me, plus the Greatest American Hero.  And Jim Henson and Mr. Rogers.  I should have mentioned Mr. Rogers the first time.  I grew up in the woods so there was woods and TV.  There was a city nearby (Newark) that I explored on my bike when I got a little older.

I'm sorry, I cannot get this song out of my head; but at least I didn't give you the Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods version! (I guess you have to be a certain age to even identify with this)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHrQ2UwSiOk&hl=en&fs=1

LOL