Notorious Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Even though some may prefer to use the term hero more for fictional characters because all human beings are imperfect, I think that real life people who work to leave behind a world that is better for everyone truly deserve that designation. The respect and deference that accompanies calling someone a hero or heroine seems...

Irena Sendler

Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. When I first saw a picture of Irena Sendler, she was a little old lady, small and adorable. She looked like she could be someone’s grandma. I had been interested in the Holocaust since I was a teenager and when I learned this woman had joined the Polish...

A Steadfast Hero: Henry McCord

There are a million and one reasons why I adore the political drama series Madam Secretary, from the gripping and almost eerily prescient story-lines, to the FANTASTIC scripts that give us profound moments one minute and have us grinning like idiots the next, to the brilliant cast and the characters they play who easily steal...

A Measure of Mercy: The Heroism of Frodo Baggins

Mercy can be difficult to offer, no question about it. Because of that, characters who show mercy to those who oppose them are some of the most heroic (in my opinion). Jean Valjean refusing to shoot Javert (Les Misérables), Rey healing Kylo (Star Wars: The Return of Skywalker), and Bilbo deciding not to kill Gollum...

Bruce Wayne in the Dark Knight Trilogy: A Conflicted Hero for the Superhero Cinema Era

I remember the summer of 2012 with great fondness—it was early in the current era of superhero films, when The Avengers was a risk that paid off (there were how many superheroes in one film?), Andrew Garfield debuted as the second live-action incarnation of Spider-Man, and the frontier of superhero cinema was still largely unexplored...

The Founding Fathers: Imperfect Heroes

America has always been a dream its citizens strive for, more than a reality. The ideals behind her are good ones (liberty and the right to pursue happiness!). And although she has never been (and never will be) perfect because of the flawed people who call her home, that doesn’t really matter. She is still...

July / August 2021: Heroes

What does heroism mean to you? Do you see a family member as heroic, for fighting cancer? Do you look to the pages of history to find heroes who championed causes? Do you look up to someone in your life, who is making a difference? Or do you prefer to find your heroes on the...