hmmm…..
James Arness, Dr. Kevorkian, and Sarah Palin are in the news today. Palin because she got it wrong – her information about Paul Revere’s ride was dead wrong and the media has had a hay day with it. Dr. Kevorkian passed away yesterday – whether he got it right or not is still under debate. He is the doctor who assisted patients who had painful, terminal diseases with suicide and was convicted and incarcerated for it. While you may or may not agree with his practice, you have to admit that he did much to create the compassionate hospice care practices that we have for the dying today.
Now, James Arness got it right. Well, his character, Matt Dillon did. The Gunsmoke character that Arness played became a symbol of what an American hero should be. He was strong, patient, compassionate, and not to be crossed. He inspired devotion from those he touched on and off the television screen.
I remember Gunsmoke and Matt Dillion. The sheriff was a man I admired and wished I knew. He always seemed to get it right – not like John Edwards, who is also in the news today for allegedly lying to the courts about his mistress.
So it comes down to knowing and telling the truth. First, you have to know what it is. Spouting off without knowing the facts is not heroic. Lying about an uncomfortable and inconvenient part of your life is not heroic. Having the courage and compassion to address terminal suffering may or may not be heroic depending upon how you look at it.
But telling the truth and standing behind it is always American heroism at its best.
hmmm…..
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