Do we still need heroes in the present day?<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): What is a hero? Do we need heroes? Can we find a
\n\"real hero\" in the present day? Such simple questions probably
\nemerge every November 10 when Indonesians celebrate National
\nHeroes Day.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post asked a selection of people for their views
\non the subject.<\/p>\n
Rizal Ramli, a noted economist and Econit's managing director:
\n\"A hero does not necessarily have to be someone that is, or ever
\nwill be, buried in a heroes cemetery.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, a hero should be someone, regardless of profession,
\nwho can give added value to their country.<\/p>\n
A hero can contribute to science and technology, education,
\nculture... anything, because the war we are in now is no longer a
\nphysical fight.<\/p>\n
A hero is someone who, in fighting their \"war\", does not have
\npersonal interests or looks to become the focus of the struggle.\"<\/p>\n
Purwanto, a driver: \"Heroes, in today's world full of
\nhypocrisy, are those who dare to say \"no\" to what is wrong and
\n\"yes\" to what is right.\"<\/p>\n
Hera, a university student: \"I'm no longer sure what the term
\nhero really means in this age when all sorts of people are named
\n\"heroes\" virtually on a monthly basis.<\/p>\n
I have become suspicious of those people who have received the
\ntitle 'hero' because it is likely that they are not really worth
\nnoting.<\/p>\n
According to Hera, it is easier to respect the heroes who
\nstruggled for independence than to memorize those who have been
\ngranted hero status in the last two years.\"<\/p>\n
Arswendo Atmowiloto, former editor of the now defunct Monitor
\ntabloid, novelist: \"Heroes sacrifice their own interests for the
\nsake of others. They are more than just altruists. For instance,
\nFather Sandyawan. The Catholic priest risked his own life when he
\nharbored Democratic People's Party chairman Budiman Sudjatmiko
\nwho is regarded by the government as a rebel. What's more, heroes
\nneed not be 'clean' or politically correct. Thus prostitutes,
\nhomosexuals, people of antiestablishment political orientation
\nand the like could be recognized as heroes if they are really
\nheroes.\"<\/p>\n
Diah Rahayu, a housewife, living in South Jakarta: \"The word
\nhero could have various meanings depending on people's interests.
\nIt could be my husband.<\/p>\n
Someone who was awarded national hero status in the past and
\nburied at the heroes cemetery could be found to be a bad person
\nin the future. So, I can't convince myself, what a national hero
\nreally is.\"<\/p>\n
Noeh, chief editor of Antara News Agency: \"Heroes are those
\npeople who have undertaken the most worthy services for their
\ncountry and committed the fewest faults in developing their
\nnation. Based on that definition, hero status should not be
\nreserved for the military.<\/p>\n
We can also say that heroes are those to whom God will say:
\nYou have done a lot of very good things and therefore I'll
\nforgive all of your sins.<\/p>\n
But of course, the subject of heroes is debatable. Other
\npeople may have different opinions.\"<\/p>\n
Puji, a manager of the Ciputra Group: \"Heroes for me are
\npeople who did the most to develop a certain group of society,
\ndisregarding the so-called SARA (tribal affiliations, ethnics,
\nreligion and race).<\/p>\n
That's my opinion and I don't know whether it is agreeable to
\nothers or not. But one thing I think is that other people will
\nalso agree that heroes are people who have done good things.\"<\/p>\n
Wardiman Djojonegoro, Minister of Education and Culture:
\n\"Heroes perform beyond their call of duty. Teachers, for
\npractical purposes, can be referred to as heroes as the song
\nHeroes without Medals of Honor suggests. This, however, does not
\nautomatically make them eligible for a place in heroes
\ncemeteries.\"<\/p>\n
N.H. Dini, a novelist: \"Heroes are those who have done
\nsomething of great virtue for the community in which they live,
\nprovided their heroic acts are not performed as redemption for
\nlosses incurred nor are they spurred by base motives such as
\nmoney. I know some highly revered people whose acts fit my
\ndefinition but I could not refer to them as heroes as I do not
\nknow who they really are. Our late first president Bung Karno is
\ncertainly a hero, not only because of his struggle for our
\ncountry's independence but also because of his contribution to
\nthe development of the Indonesian language. Our language would
\nnot have attained its perfect unity without him. In addition,
\nheroes can also be animals, such as dogs which have saved
\npeople's lives.\"<\/p>\n
Let. Gen. Wiranto, chief of the Army Strategic Reserves
\nCommand and chairman of the Indonesian Bridge Association:
\n\"Athletes who have done our country proud are heroes. The
\nIndonesian men's bridge team, for instance. It finished second to
\nFrance in the just-concluded 10th Bridge Olympics on Greece's
\nRhodes Island after a grueling 14 days which exhausted them both
\nmentally and physically. It was the best finish we have ever had
\nsince we first took part in the Olympics in 1982. It is a heroic
\nact though not of the same type as that of a man who saves a
\nchild's life at the expense of his own.\" (Team)<\/p>",
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