A Harris poll last month asked Americans, "Whom do you admire enough to call a hero?" The winner: Barack Obama. Well, no.
My elderly dictionary says a hero is a legendary figure of great strength or ability, or an illustrious warrior. President Obama has never been to war, and while he may have great strength or ability, his presidency Is just beginning and we don't know yet if he does.
The poll lists one legitimate hero, the US Airways pilot who landed his jet in the Hudson River last month without the loss of a single life. But George W. Bush, who I think was the worst president of my lifetime, finished fifth. How can you possible justify that? Mother Teresa made the top ten. That's okay, but she beat out God (I am not making this up), who finished eleventh, just ahead of Hillary Clinton. Sarah Palin, in case you were wondering, was 21st.
Polls don't really mean anything, of course. It's not like an election, which has real consequences. If people want to think George W. Bush is a hero, that's fine with me. It proves either that Americans weren't paying attention during his presidency, or that we badly need to improve elementary school education in this country because people just don't know what the word "hero" means. They're confusing it with "celebrity" maybe. Mr. Bush is certainly one of those.
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