Protest Marches: Do They Work?

Protest Marches: Do they Work?

A hero is defined as someone who displays courage and self- sacrifice in the face of danger. When people think of heroes and heroines today Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks may be the first names that pop up. A hero doesn’t always have to be a famous person. A hero is just a person that shows personal courage and selfless service. Who was the hero for the whole Jena 6 ordeal? This wasn’t really justified but who do many people think it was? Some believe it was the six boys that were convicted for beating up the white boy, yet some people believe it was the first person to sit under the tree in a peaceful yet effecting manner.

Do famous people such as Jessie Jackson or even Oprah make the whole Jena 6 issue worth knowing of? People that have already been characterized as “heroes” shouldn’t make an issue more interesting. It makes a person even wonder if anyone is listening to the issue because of the celebrities or because the issue is something that they feel very strong about. Famous people are humans which means that they will die away soon, and if people only care about issues that feature them then nothing would seem important anymore. Today’s society has much for room for people to stand up and take over what they believe in. Heroes aren’t just celebrities but they are firemen, soldiers, policeman, etc. These people put others before themselves no matter how dangerous a job may be. This means that Jessie Jackson does not have to be the “leader” of a protest to make people listen.

The person that stood under the tree showed a good example of heroism. He had enough courage to ask white people if he could sit under the tree. He did this in a peaceful manner and even though the next day two nooses were hung he did not do anything violent. The six students that jumped on the white boy handled the manner in a different way. There could have been many ways that the situation could have been dealt with. The role of a hero is supposed to show a good example. People don’t want to hear the word hero and think of the six students that beat the white boy up. That would contradict everything that Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Reverend Al Sharpton accomplished to help with racial issues.

This is a very important issue because a hero doesn’t just take over by acting violently. Heroes show their courage, wisdom,