Let's Knock Down Some Heroes. Eh Folks?

It is true some people really need to be kicked off their high horse. Some not only need to be kicked off the horse but also to be stomped on for good measure. Still there are many out there, just regular people who shouldn't be knocked down. Many of them are not on a horse to begin with (for those literal folk, high horse is a metaphor for them trying to be all good, acting better than you). They are just people who for whatever reason are in the spotlight. Some are heroes and some are just part of a story in the media.

There was this Doctor who got carried off a plane the other day. No fault of his. He was just selected because the airline sold too much tickets. He was hurt as the police carried and literally dragged him off the plane. The CEO blamed him and there was talk about looking at his criminal record. They wanted to bad mouth him; he was labeled belligerent and disruptive.  Its a common pattern when someone is in the news, to label them in a negative way. I remember when I saw the coolest Dude on the planet. He is Charles Ramsey, the good guy who helped rescue the three women in Cleveland who were captive for ten years. Not too long after his famous  interview on TV, there were those folks who started to look at his record and started knocking him down. There are numerous examples when someone gets attention there is someone to knock them down. Remember the Homeless man with the golden voice? He has talent and he has problems as well. His talent got highlighted and his problems were brought out as well.

In Winnipeg this guy is deceased now, Faron Hall, he got noticed and he got noticed for his heroic deeds. Not once but twice. He was beaten up because of his notoriety. "You think you're good".  Poor guy he didn't want the notoriety. The media likes a good story. His "friends" or contemporaries didn't like his good deeds and attention.

Not all folks need the notoriety of news story to make them targets. We will target them anyhow.

I admit I am quick to judge and can call down as well. Many a time I will use the ugly practice of passive aggressive attacks. I try to catch myself and check myself but... I'm a jerk. I own it.

The default position of people seems to be set on negative. We see someone or something and its almost a given we will look for the bad. Why? Are we so stuck in ugly that we just can't see the good? Or even look for the good?

In the smaller community, we do it to people we know and kind of know. We do it with no regard for how they feel or what they are doing.

I started this post because of the negativity we are witnessing in our community (Indigenous community) and was going to use some specific incidents in our province, city and Reserves but have decided to keep it left open.

So let's enjoy the coolest dude on the planets interview. Charles Ramsey.  Samuel L Jackson could do him justice in the movie.