What is Heroism?

When most people think of the word “hero,” the first thing that comes to their mind is a comic book character from Marvel or DC, whether it be Superman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, or Spider-Man. These are only some of the characters, but they were all written to be the general view of heroic. There are people in the real world, however, that do not have superhero abilities such as super strength or flying, but they are every bit as heroic. Arguably so, they may be even more heroic considering they are just average people who put themselves out there without any superhuman defenses. They decide to either stand up for the little guy or put their lives on the line to ensure the safety of others. Four of these people are Welles Crowther, Aaron Feis, Scott Beigel, and Tarana Burke.

Welles Crowther, better known as “The Man in the Red Bandana,” saved eighteen lives before losing his own during the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. Crowther was just an average man. He was born on May 17, 1977, in New York to two loving parents. At the age of six, he was involved in many sports, and it was then that his father gave him his acclaimed red bandana, which Crowther wore underneath every jersey for every sport he played, and he also kept it on him for the remainder of his life. At sixteen, he was a volunteer firefighter, already desiring to make a difference in the world, but after enrolling in Boston College for economics, he decided to go into that field instead. His love for helping others, however, never left him. The morning of September 11th, Crowther had been debating with himself whether he wanted to continue his job for Sandler O’Neill and Partners or pursue his childhood passion of being a firefighter. He had been leaning toward the latter, and that was shown once the catastrophe occurred. Crowther worked on the 104th floor of the South Tower and was not harmed by the initial impact of the plane. He proceeded to make his way out of the building, after finding a working staircase, but it was then that he saw other people suffering from broken bones or just pure confusion. Crowther carried a woman on his back down to the seventeenth floor of the building (a total of eighty-seven floors from where he was at the impact) and ushered others down the building too. It was there that Crowther made a life-changing decision. He left them to finish their escape and went back up into the decaying building to search for others in need of help. This ended up being his downfall as the building collapsed with him inside. This heroic act cost Crowther his life, but he was very well aware that it might have. No one knew who the man was that saved them, as he never spoke his name. The only identification of who he was was the red bandana from his childhood, which he had used as a mask to cover his nose and mouth while helping people escape. Crowther sacrificed his life to save the lives of nearly twenty other people. He never thought of being a hero. He instead did what he thought was right. The desire to help people and save lives was in his mentality, and even as a simple equity trader, this desire shone through. This man had so much more life to live, but he decided the greater good was more important than the possibility of a future. Hence, Crowther is known to all as a hero, and he has touched many hearts through his actions, especially those of the people he saved.

Next is Aaron Feis. There is not too much background information on this man other than the fact that he was a football coach and security guard at Stoneman Douglas High School. On February 14, 2018, in Parkland, Florida, Nikolas Cruz, age 19, entered his former high school and pulled the fire alarm, only to shoot the students as they exited the building. Seventeen people died in this shooting, fourteen children and three adults, but the number would have been much larger had Aaron Feis not done what he did. He used his body as a shield to protect any children he could, which resulted in his death at the young age of 37. Although he had so much more life to live, he knew these teenagers had even more and wanted them to live as long as they could. Feis left behind a wife and a young daughter through his actions, but he also allowed families to continue being full. He put the lives of the children before his own and took a bullet for them. Scott Beigel also gave up his life for the sake of the children. Beigel, age 35, left his classroom to usher students inside. He could have simply locked the door, leaving the students unprotected and save himself, but he instead went out to save them. While Aaron Feis is well known for his sacrifice, Beigel is hardly recognized. There is not too much background on him either, besides the fact he was a geometry teacher at Stoneman Douglas, but he is every bit as much of a hero. These two adults, both under the age of 40, less than half of the average life expectancy for males in the United States, gave up their lives for these children during this awful tragedy.

Last is Tarana Burke. Not many know this name, but the movement she started is well known- the Me Too Movement. Burke is a Civil Rights Activist from the Bronx, NY. The movement began in 2006 but did not become popular until recently when other survivors of sexual assault started to speak their truths and tell their stories. For years, survivors of rape lived in silence, scared to speak out against their abusers in fear that they would be accused of making the story up. However, because of Burke, many felt the courage to speak about it. Burke had been raped and sexually assaulted as both a child and a teenager, so she created this movement as a way to show others who were affected by the same that they are not alone. By giving the people a voice, as well as bravery, she is viewed as a hero to many who suffered. Indirectly, Burke saved lives. Many survivors of sexual assault are unable to live knowing what happened to them and take their own lives. However, with this community, those who are harmed now have a place to feel safe. They have others to share their horrible memories with, and most importantly, they know that they are not alone. They have others to help them through the troubles and emotions they feel, and this movement takes away the power from the abuser and starts giving it to the survivor. In previous decades, survivors were known as victims, but now they are seen for what they really are. This movement has spread rapidly due to Hollywood and social media, but it is most important to remember who took the first step in making this movement real and giving survivors hope for a better future.

An average person can be every bit of a hero as a superhero. In tragedy, heroes are born. During 9/11, Crowther was there. During the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Aaron Feis and Scott Beigel were there. During the rise of sexual assault, Tarana Burke was there. These people are not just one type of person. They vary in race, gender, and age, but the one thing they have in common is being a hero. There are so many other heroes in the world, and the view of heroism varies from person to person, but it is without question that these four people are stand out heroes of this era. These were/ are average people, but through their actions, they became heroes and showed what heroism truly is: helping others when they need it.