Is the Tradition of a ‘Real American Hero’ dead?

Have you ever wondered where our good ‘ol American heroes have gone? Many have fond memories growing up of Will Rogers getting the bad guy to protect America….John Wayne setting the standard of what it meant to be a tough, honest American man….GI Joe fighting to protect our American freedoms…..and Superman standing for ‘truth, justice, and the American way’…. But will our children ever have the same ideals to look up to? Do we even want them to have that?

In December 2007 I came across an article in the Finantical Times (FT) headlining: “UN joins forces with Marvel Comics”. You can find it here:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a9d5f5ee-b3ff-11dc-a6df-0000779fd2ac.html

Or a similar article from MSNBC here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22408081/

Here are some possible important quotes from the 1st (FT) article:

“In a move reminiscent of storylines developed during the second world war, the UN is joining forces with Marvel Comics, creators of Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk, to create a comic book showing the international body working with superheroes to solve bloody conflicts and rid the world of disease.

The comic, initially to be distributed free to 1m US schoolchildren, will be set in a war-torn fictional country and feature superheroes such as Spider-Man working with UN agencies such as Unicef and the “blue hats”, the UN peacekeepers.”

“Although the UN did not come up with the initiative, the measure could help revive the body’s troubled image in the US, where relations have been strained, in particular during US President George W. Bush’s administration.”

“The latest UN initiative is not the first time US comics have been used for political purposes. During the second world war, superheroes were shown taking on Germany’s Nazi regime. Marvel’s Captain America, together with other characters such as Superman, were shown beating up Adolf Hitler.”

Read the articles and research the topic for yourself. Why are these being handed out for free? Isn’t it openly admitted that the intended purpose of these free comics are to convince kids to trust this organization? Even if this is so, this is not necessarily a bad thing, right? However, how many conflicts does the UN solve? What is really being promoted: peace keeping, or accepting global government?

Take a look at today’s cartoons….take a look at the toys next time you go to the store…. Even look online for articles on GI Joe. What has changed?  America has traditionally provided strong, protective, national defenders that little boys looked up to from Roy Rogers to John Wayne, GI Joe to Superman. Each was proud to be an American, and stood for truth….for justice….and the protecting the freedoms that Americans have loved and protected since the inception of our country.

Furthermore…Do you remember the heroes when you grew up? They came in a variety of shapes, colors, sizes, sexes, creeds and colors…But never black. Never. Can you think of any ‘good guys’ that wore black, looked mean, and went around ‘kicking butt first, asking questions later…? Are we not seeing this all around us today, where the good guys have to supposedly do ‘bad things’ in order to protect the majority of our population aka Jack Bauer, ‘24′-style torture? Is this thinking logical? Is it even American? Or does it sound more like Soviet Russia?  Do we now have to accept the reality that ‘good guys’ go around with black ski masks and sneers…and that instead of promoting things like protecting freedom, they stand for raw power at the end of a weapon?

Where are our national heroes today? Do they strive for solid American values? Or is that now evil or outdated? Even GI Joe has traded in his American dog tags to fight in the “Global Task Force”. (Article from Fox News -HERE-)

Are we already in a global society? What values do we cling to, and which keep changing? Do we even notice? And are we keeping track of all these developments and their ramifications…and comparing them to prophecy?

What do you think?

Michigan Police Video: Due Vigilence or Fear?

Local ABC affiliate WXZZM Channel 13 from Grand Rapids, Michigan first posted a story and video link in 2005 to an ‘anti-terrorism’, Homeland Security video put out by Michigan police. Its main goal was to assist Michigan residents by providing a video reminding them of 7 suspicious things to watch for in order to catch a potential terrorist.

After watching the video, ask yourself: “Have you spotted any terrorists?”

(Link to article, and video ‘7 signs of terrorism’):

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=35456

Here is also an alternate link to the video part from youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaugEd8gpHg

Terrorism is unfortunately a real thing, but what do these videos really do? Do they contribute something positive, and provide insight into catching a terrorist? Do they give people practical tips which are helpful to spot suspicious things? Or does it further enhance a population that is constantly in fear of terror, and encourage people to be the next ‘Jack Bauer’ on their favorite episode of ‘24′ while calling in tourists, neighbors, and people who are going about their business?

I am greatly saddened by the work of terrorists both modern and throughout history. My heart goes out to the families who have been affected by the atrocities of terrorism. Yet at the same time…are we so caught up in fear that we forget that we are free people, living in a free society? Yes, it may be beneficial to look out for suspicious activity. Speaking personally, I know that I and any of my family or friends would call the police if we saw something that would seem to indicate something dangerous or threatening might be in the works….

Are media and government being vigilant and responsible in their preparations and warnings to the public? Or do they do more harm than good, serving to scare and further make people more distant and skeptical about each other?

Why is this being discussed here? Well, isn’t constant threats, or ‘wars and rumors of wars’ something which we have been warned about? Wouldn’t this apply, especially if threats (we are told) are almost constant, and impending? Furthermore, are these not symptoms which we are told will continue to increase in number, thereby strengthening a coming ’savior’ which will astound the world under a global dictatorship in the name of ‘peace’, ’safety’, and ‘love’?

And as I have mentioned before, yes, terrorism is unfortunately a reality in our daily lives. Not many people question that. History is full of terrorist and idealists that used brutal methods to force fear and change on many societies throughout many different times and places throughout the globe. However, instead of following people around who right on maps or walk around with a camera in public…(and then calling the police to ‘check them out’)….Wouldn’t it be more useful to study the people who hate us so much and find out why they are doing what they are doing? Might this at least help us to (if not fix the problem), to at least aid us in fighting terrorism? And if this is so…why do we know so little about these terrorists and why they attack us? Isn’t it truly essential to understand these seemingly basic elements in order to truly identify and aid in capturing these terrorists? By getting an idea of their ideology and how they view the world, wouldn’t that much more clearly aid us in assisting the authorities to bring these people to justice?

Is it important for us to attempt to understand what is going on around us, or is it enough to trust ‘experts’ and ‘professionals’, and simply do what they say is best for us?  What is the difference between diligence and fearmongering?

What do you think?