Chapter One

A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around. -Ed Howe

As we have seen, the characteristics of the modern-day hero have deteriorated greatly. Until recently, our heroes were individuals who braved unknown frontiers at the risk of death or public humiliation, regardless of the sacrifices. Much of what they accomplished was for the good of humanity rather than their own self-centered needs.

In the past fifty years, attitudes, values, and priorities have been increasingly shaped by a mass-media culture. Quiet heroism plays less well on television than does splashy excess. Because of this, our heroes have changed drastically. Today, our children worship wealthy performers who change spouses as often as they change underwear. They look up to musicians and athletes with rap sheets and drug habits. They idolize movie characters whose talents include killing by day and gratuitous sex by night. They revere those with the most cynical attitudes, the most obscene incomes, the foulest mouths, and the lowest regard for human life. To many contemporary heroes, agricultural advancement means sowing bushels of their wild oats everywhere they can. They seem to live by the motto "Snort, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow ... well, tomorrow we'll meet at my place and do it all over again."

Heroism, in other words, is often defined today in terms of what a person has rather than who he or she and what he or she can do to make the world a better place. What th