<p>Want to critique mine?</p>
<p>Blue book #8. Prompt: Should heroes be defined as people who have the courage to say what they think when we ourselves lack the courage to say it?</p>
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<p>What is a hero? Is it someone who puts him or herself in physical danger for the sake of someone else, like the heroes so often portrayed on television? This is not always the case. A hero can be someone who risks something on an emotional level, too. Atticus Finch, in the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, and the 1960s civil rights activist Martin Luther King are two epitomes of heroes. They expressed their own controversial beliefs for the sake of those people too meek to do so, which is what a true hero does.</p>
<p>In the southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, a man named Atticus Finch proves himself a hero. Finch, an attorney, is the only one in town to say what he thinks is right. As the sole supporter of the black man Tom Robinson, who has been wrongfully prosecuted for a rape he did not commit, Finch carries a great onus on his shoulders. Robinson's black family and friends and even the entire remainder of the town all lack the bravery to defend the innocent man. Even though Finch does not partake in a heroic gunfight, he is still a hero, because he risks disapproval, ridicule, and even hatred from his peers, yet he remains resolute in his beliefs. That is what a veritable hero must do.</p>
<p>The reverend Martin Luther King proved himself a hero in America in the 1960s. His cause was analogous to that of Atticus Finch-- he was fighting for equal rights for African Americans. Again, his heroism did not manifest itself in the form of putting his life in danger. Instead, he spoke out against millions of racist Americans, declaring that people of every color should have equal rights. King spearheaded a much-needed movement representing countless black Americans who faced despicable discrimination. Had he done nothing but make speeches and protest verbally, Martin Luther King would have still been remembered as a hero-- because he spoke out for people who didn't have the courage to do so.</p>
<p>A man or woman doesn't have to dodge bullets or jump into burning buildings to be heroic. True heroism lies in facing disapproval and enmity, but still speaking one's mind. It requires a great deal of courage to stand up for the rights of people who are too afraid-- it takes the courage of a hero.</p>