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Among Presidential Wannabes, the Hero Is…
If my colleague Peter Robinson had a Homeric epithet associated with his name, as the bard often dubbed Achilles “the swiftest runner,” Peter’s would be “the provocative questioner.” At the end of an excellent Ricochet podcast with the gang last week in which I talked about the themes in my new book, The Heroic Heart, Peter asked me, first, who in the Democratic presidential field and, second, who among the Republicans might best be considered a hero.
For my answer on the Democratic side, I noted that although I thoroughly disagree with the substance of his convictions, Bernie Sanders has been an unabashed and unapologetic advocate for his version of “democratic socialism” over a political career that has spanned more than three decades. So at least we have in Sanders a man with the courage of his convictions.
Answering Peter on the GOP side turned out to be a much bigger challenge. I noted that when Donald Trump looks in the mirror, he certainly sees a hero looking back. But that’s not the real test. Then came a sequence of “uh,” “uhh,” “uhhhh” from my mouth as an indication of my mind’s evident bafflement in search of a GOP hero among that bunch. I finally averred that I just couldn’t get past John McCain, a true American hero (notwithstanding Trump’s cranky fulminations to the contrary).
If the conclusion from my fumbling reply was that the GOP presidential field might just lack a truly inspiring figure — a conclusion to which the Ricochet gang didn’t seem to object — so be it. But in retrospect, there is one candidate in the group with a plausible claim to heroism. That would be Ben Carson.
In The Heroic Heart, I showed that what distinguishes heroism in the modern world from the classical form of heroism in antiquity is that the ancient hero acts out of a sense of personal superiority over others, whereas the modern hero acts in service to others. In its rawest form, it’s old-style slaying and conquering heroism versus life-saving heroism, the exemplar of which is the 9/11 firefighter.
No, Ben Carson has not given his life in an effort to save others, as 354 New York City firefighters did on 9/11. Nor to my knowledge has he ever risked his life to save anybody. But Dr. Carson, the renowned neurosurgeon, has certainly saved the lives of many people, many of whom probably think of him as a hero for saving them or saving a loved one. Those who see him in that light are not wrong to do so. He chose and excelled at a demanding profession whose mission is saving lives through the knowledge and technical skill of its practitioners.
The name of the oath physicians take — after Hippocrates of fifth century BCE Athens — reminds us that the lifesaving that characterizes heroic greatness in its modern form actually has deep roots in antiquity. Ben Carson is heir to that tradition in a way that Trump, with regard to the heroic greatness of Achilles, is not. My saying this doesn’t mean Carson should be president. But the retired neurosurgeon, more than anyone else in the GOP field — or, for that matter, in the Democratic field — has title to a heroic heart.
Published in Literature
It’s also worth noting that Carson has the courage to voice ideas which are controversial even among Republicans; like arguing that a Muslim should not be President.
Trump makes such comments, even when he is not performing for attention, out of carelessness. He is indifferent to his critics, so snubbing them costs him nothing. No courage is required.
Carson, on the other hand, exhibits Christian charity in conversation and attempts to bridge disagreements. So for him to speak what he believes to be necessary truths which will inevitably invite scorn and complicate his bid for office… that takes guts.
More to the point, it requires firm and dearly held beliefs. Courage after all is defense, rather than mere defiance.
Last Monday or Tuesday, Carson was on the Charlie Rose show. While I can guarantee any liberal watching would say that Rose tore him apart, that was not the case if you listened.
You could see that Carson had heard every question, had analyzed each and then answered in the way he thought best given the venue. (He knew full well that random audio clips would be used against him if he provided them.)
His demeanor reminded me not so much of the Homeric hero as that of the John Huston western hero. A quiet man of strength and conviction. One to which the saying “still waters run deep” would apply.
Today seems to be Ben Carson day for me. Don’t miss my piece at USA Today on Carson’s comments on the Oregon shooting:
http://usat.ly/1joZbiB
I have some difficulty seeing Ben Carson as a president of the United States, but I have no problem seeing him as a real Homeric hero. He is a man of character and integrity, two qualities which are not well distributed among his fellow candidates, least of all Donald Trump. I believe that Ted Cruz is the closest among the remaining candidates to possessing what Ben Carson excells at, though I do not see him being successful at the presidency. It may well be that being President of the United States in this day and age requires a certain amount of character and integrity, but also some duplicity as well. We are long past the days when a man like our first president could successfully navigate the intricacies of the office.
Dr. Carson operated on the daughter of some friends of mine for an unusual malignant brain tumor, and she is alive today. I am sure he is a hero to them.
I do sometimes wonder if they, and other similar families, will rethink their reflexive liberalism when they hear him speak.
Carson really is a unique personality. I feel I can trust him to do what is right. He has a good analytical mind. I’m very glad to have him in the fray and fighting for us.
It should be possible for everybody in America to acknowledge Carson’s heroic side: successfully separating twins joined at the head, e.g. But once you take the leap into politics, you’ve signed up for automatic vilification by at least one-third of the population. I bet Carson knew this. All the more credit to him for being willing to give up that common good opinion for the sake of getting out a message he believes in.
Yes, well said.