MY TOP TWELVE HEROES

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: 488

Of course no one can narrow their heroes in life down to just twelve people, and what does the word hero mean anyway? I don’t have Jesus Christ on my list because many people believe He was a God who came to us in human form. But with that preface, and believing that it is insightful for each of us to consider who are our life leaders and positive examples, here is my list:

• My great and wonderful father, Judge William P. Gray. My Dad was a self-made man who put himself through UCLA and then Harvard Law School. After serving as a lieutenant colonel in the Army during World War II, he formed his own law firm back here in Los Angeles. President of the State Bar of California, a highly respected federal district judge, and a man of integrity who always led me by example. And, as I have said before, I often use a quote from him, which is “You have every right to disagree, but you have no right to be disagreeable.” Thank you, Dad!
• George Washington. Literally the Father of our Great Country, Washington was also our country’s first President, and he pretty easily could have been king had he shown an interest. But to my knowledge, he was probably the first person in history voluntarily to step down from political power. What an example, and what a hero!
• Thomas Jefferson. The author of our inspired Declaration of Independence and our third President. And, although he deeply believed in small and less powerful governments, when the opportunity arose to make the Louisiana Purchase from France, he jumped at it. Thank you, Mr. Jefferson!
• Benjamin Franklin. An all-around person of many talents and contributions. He was one of those people who was consistently trying to improve himself and to assist others in doing the same. A major example of a person that I would like to emulate!
• Abraham Lincoln. Talk about the right person at the right time and the right place? Few people in the history of the world could have steered our country through our Civil War as successfully as President Lincoln did. And basically, he was a modest person, but what a true leader!
• Frederick Douglas. A former slave who understood the value of education and hard work. And he not only pursued both for himself, he also was deeply involved in passing along those understandings to many other former slaves. Not a victim, ever an achiever and ever an inspiration and hero!
• John Muir. The personification of a person who was dedicated to preserving the integrity, enjoyment, and appreciation of our natural environment, and a founder of our National Park System. This hero was far ahead of his time, and we all owe him a great deal!
• Eleanor Roosevelt. Both a solid partner with her husband in his duties, as well as a person truly devoted to helping other people, particularly other women. This wonderful lady exemplifies a life well-lived. What a heroic lady!
• Winston Churchill. Just like Abraham Lincoln, truly the right person at the right time and place. What an achievement to bring Britain and the world through World War II, and against such odds. An amazing and heroic man!
• Mother Theresa. Talk about a person who realized and pursued her calling in life, Mother Theresa committed herself to a religious life at the age of 12, and became an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun and a founder of the Missionaries of Charity. And throughout her life, she was devoted to helping and serving the poor. Truly an inspiration, role model, and hero!
• Martin Luther King. It took courage, and fortitude, to do what he did and face what he faced, with non-violence as his theme! But that is a big reason why he so successfully led the Civil Rights Movement in the South, and all around our Great Country. People like this do not come along very often, and we were blessed that he was with us! What a hero!
• Milton Friedman. Dr. Friedman was not only brilliant in his understanding of what works in life, he had a unique way of simplifying it so that almost everyone could understand his concepts. And, of course, one of his greatest explanations was “Incentives Matter!” And they surely do. Thank you to this hero!

So what does your list of heroes look like? Think about it and then create one. I believe that you, and even your family and friends, will be glad you did!

Thought for the week which is on the front of a shirt I bought long ago in Alaska: “If a man speaks in a forest and a woman can’t hear, is he still wrong?”