We Need a Hero

?"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting?to improve the world!"??- Annie Frank

It was forty years ago and we were in the throes of an election pitting a former Vice President against the incumbent President; Walter Mondale was challenging the second term aspirations of Ronald Reagan.? Issues similar to those of today challenged the American public including inflation, the federal deficit, maintaining peace, and taxes.? Reagan’s campaign had capitalized on a?new mood of national pride?that had reached a peak during?the Los Angeles Olympic Games.? The economic recovery helped, but interviewers and exit pollers found a preference for Reagan, even among voters who disagreed with his administration's policies, because he represented leadership, patriotism, and optimism.? Reagan won by a landslide, carrying every state with the exception of Minnesota and the District of Columbia.? It would seem that America had found its hero.?

Over the past few weeks I’ve had some time on my hands, and it provided me with the opportunity to visit my bookshelves and read or re-read some of those books I purchased over the years.? Earlier this week my hand fell upon Admiral (USN - Retired) William H. McCraven’s,?The Hero Code. ?The book is McCraven’s tribute to the real, everyday heroes he has met over the years, and it seems to be an appropriate read at a time that America is desperately in need of, and searching for, a leader who embodies the attributes of this Code.

McRaven makes it crystal clear that The Code is not to be used as the basis for a search for a hero, rather it serves as a starting point in living the life of a hero, something we are all, with effort, capable of attaining.? He writes,?“As much as I had hoped the Man of Steel would be around to save the world, he is not.? It is up to us.? It is up to you.? Be the hero we need you to be - live The Honor Code."

The Honor Code

1. I will always be?COURAGEOUS; to take one step forward as I confront my fears.
2. I will work to be?HUMBLE; to recognize the limits of my intellect, my understanding and my power.
3. I will learn to?SACRIFICE?by giving a little of my time, my talent and my treasure to those in need.
4. I will be a person of?INTEGRITY; every decision I make and every action I take will be moral, legal and ethical.
5. I will be kind and?COMPASSIONATE?to at least one person every single day and expect nothing in return.
6. I will never give up on matters that are important to me, my family, my country, or my faith.? I will?PERSEVERE.
7. Whatever job I am given, whatever?DUTY?I am bound by, I will do it to the best of my ability.
8. I will use my unique talents to inspire others, and give them?HOPE?that tomorrow will be a better day.
9. I will use?HUMOR?to comfort others, and never be afraid to laugh at myself.
10. No matter how great or small the offense against me, I will try to?FORGIVE.? I will be the victor not the victim.

Here we are forty years later and in the words of Bonnie Tyler, we’re still "Waiting for a hero”(Be it a man or a woman).??We?are seeking someone to bring us together and to exemplify those characteristics that will enable vision and action that transcends political party lines.? Neither of the current candidates possess all the traits put forth by this Code.? For that matter, neither do I.? But there is hope that one of them aspires to become the hero we so desperately need.? Absent that, we can only follow McRavens’ challenge, “?Be the hero we need you to be - live the Honor Code.”

Embrace the Challenge