A to Z: Heroes

The definition of a hero (according to google, where I get all my information) is a person who is admired for courage or noble qualities. It also says something about men and good qualities, but I think heroes are women too.

My personal definition of a hero is someone who looks out for other people, who is selfless and kind and isn't afraid of getting their hands dirty for the good of others. That includes a lot of people. There are in particular some professions that are worthy of the title 'Hero'. These include Doctors and Nurses, Police Officers, Firefighters, Care Workers, Social Workers, anyone doing charity work. Even, if I may be so bold, Politicians. If I missed any other heroic professions out, sorry, but that's all I could think of. Isn't it nice that some people get paid to be heroes?

 Then there are personal heroes. For a lot of us I would think that includes our parents. It definitely does for me. My mum is even a Nurse, so I guess that's doubly heroic. For others personal heroes can be actors or TV personalities, or even musicians. This is where we step into somewhat darker territory. Often it's children and teenagers who idolise these kinds of people, but often they're not the kind of people they should idolise. For example, Justin Bieber. Why, oh why would that kid ever be a role model? So I think perhaps it's more healthy for children and teens to idolise someone they know, because then they see all the human brilliance and weakness inside us, and then use it to their own advantage, instead of following someone they don't know blindly.

Milo Ventimiglia from the TV Show Heroes. Google came up with him because he is so very pretty,
and I thought his face may attract more visitors to my humble site.

There are also action heroes and best of all, super heroes. And the TV Show Heroes. Now that was a great show, everyone should watch that show. Anyway, super heroes are rather wonderful. They teach kids to do right and all of these great heroic qualities, whilst showing their human side (be they human or alien) and weaknesses. They are far more realistic, approachable and down to earth, mostly, than real life celebrities.

This brings me to probably the greatest question of them all.
If you were a superhero, who would you be?
And even greater:
What superpower would you have if you could choose one?

My answers are first and foremost: Possibly Mystique from X-Men, when she's not evil.
And, I'd quite like to hear thoughts. I am very nosy. However manipulating the fabric of time and space would be amazing.

How about you? What power would you have?

I Protest!

So yesterday I once again discovered something I despised.
Normal people probably aren't too bothered by it, quite a few even indulge in it, take part in it.
But I abhor it.

What is this, I hear you ask.
It's Protesting.

Yes, the human right to protest is what really pees me off.
Predominantly because protests are supposed to be peaceful, but do you really call jerking around placards (thanks to Ed for that wonderful word) saying possibly aggressive things, whilst yelling about being wronged and shouting at others to do the same peaceful?

Student protest

And that's just the usual, well-mannered protesters.

In the past, and in particular in the student population, the right to protest has well and truly been worn out. People used to protest quite a lot. And it's been getting more like that recently. People usually seemed to only protest to say that they had done it, and that was OK. It was a major part of student life. Did you really care if you didn't protest?  Of course you did, about certain things, but maybe you just didn't see the need to do things quite so overtly.

Protester and photographers

And these days, it just gets worse.
There are the ones who go out there only to attack people, to cause criminal damage and to get in the papers. And this is sometimes only for their 15 minutes of fame. To get a tiny bit of attention.
Others want to be seen to be doing something about their cause. To make it known.
But why would you need that?
If you really cared about your cause you would do something about it by yourself, make small changes to your life, and do it quietly.
For example, I care about people dying from not having working organs, so I've been an organ doner for quite a while now. I don't rave about it because I know I'd be making a difference to another persons life at some point.
Why would you want to stampede around the street gibbering like a monkey?

I think this is the same principle.
Plus, protesting for whatever it is doesn't really make too much of a difference. All it does is bring attention to your cause. Yes, this is a good thing, especially if the cause is well justified.

But the same thing would apply if, for example, MPs were inundated with letters. They would have to address the issue, whether they liked it or not. A well worded letter is a far better channel than shouting about it and possible violence.



Police and Protesters

There are also added drawbacks. One is that some people will try to hijack a protest. Certain gangs for example. And they do this with the sole purpose of causing damage and being violent.

The other is that protesting wastes police time.

Which would you rather have? A) The police using their time to catch the real criminals (robbers, murderers, terrorists) or B) The police using their time to watch over an unruly crowd of normal people protesting about, say, cuts.

So really, what I'm saying is, why protest when there are other means of doing things? You'd just have to be a little more creative.

And also, is there really anything 'peaceful' about protesting?
I don't think so.

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Some useful webpages:
-Your Rights- The Right to Peaceful Protest
-How to become an Organ Doner

Stereotypes are always right?

Women are usually seen as notorious for moaning about things. And so who am I to stray from this stereotype? And talking of stereotypes, that is one of the things that can annoy the heck out of me.

I'm a female, 19 year old student studying Criminology, so of course I am a perfect example to start with.

Firstly, being a female comes with a whole batch of stereotypes. I am, in fact, despite common belief, a woman. I have all the usual bodily parts to prove this. (You know, the ones that are normally involved in womanhood.)
But I don't always talk about clothes, shoes, handbags, etcetera. (Although I must admit, it definately occupies some brain space, along with the breaking-a-nail reflex action). Nor do I watch shows such as Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City, because frankly, they're pretty soul destroying.

But I will freely admit that I do drool over hot male celebrities. Only in the form of the cute and gawky Justin Long and the also rather gawky (yet exceedingly handsome( James Marsden, rather than the supposedly 'gorgeous' Robert Pattinson. (Seriously? His face is flat, his American accent isn't that great and I'd much rather he kept his shirt on.)
- To redeem him though, he does have a lovely original English accent. (Yes, he is English.)

Secondly I'm a teenager. (I know, on the cusp of turning the dreaded two-oh, but still a teenager nonetheless). And teens don't half get bad press.
Because not all of us are knife-weilding, heroin-taking juvenile delinquents. And I am most certainly not. In fact, I'd rather be sat at home reading a good book than out torhing houses and generally being an idiot.
Some of us do like to help our communities and or/just generally do absolutely nothing wrong.

Students also have a bad stereotype. I can safely say that here the stereotype may fit. Vaguely. I like the odd party, and the odd drink, but never overdo it. I'm not one of the people that go out clubbing every night and get absolutely off their heads. Because to be honest, the people who do that just look ridiculous.
Most of all, our studies are actually important to those of us who want a good future. So we will turn up to every seminar and lecture, no matter how late we stayed up the night before.

Last but not least, Criminology.
Before you ask, not all of us want to be policemen/women. You can go into security, the prison service, law, the probabtion service, etcetera, or, yes, the police.
But I guess there is one thing that stands true to the Criminology stereotype: Our sense of humours. It isn't half odd.

One other stereotype that I have to mention would be blondes. Because they get bad press too. They're seen as dim-witted and vain. And, although some of them probably are, some are not like that. Take my lovely sister. Her A level scores were a grade higher than me on everything. And she is ridiculously knowledgeable. And Philisophical. Oddly.

So now that we have examined stereotypes, the next time you see a little old lady in the street, you should probably wonder whether she really does own lots of cats and knit.
You never know, she may own budgies and sew.