First published in Column 8 on the 12th August, 1992
The Olympic Games have brought the idea of the hero before
us constantly, with people overcoming considerable odds, and struggling against
personal battles.
However, I find the way some athletes carry on when they win
rather sickening, and anything but heroic – especially, I’m sad to say, the
Yanks. They don’t really need the crowd to applaud them; they do more than enough
of it themselves.
New Zealand competitors, for the most part, are rather more
self-controlled, humble even – a facet of our national personality I hope we can retain. With them you share in the
enjoyment of the win; you’re not turned off by self-adulation.
The heroism of the athletes follows hard on the heels of Mr Bolger’s remarks about
viewing successful businessmen as heroes. In spit of New Zealand being sadly in
want of heroes I’m glad he didn’t suggest any politicians for the role.)
Mr Bolger’s remarks struck me as barking up the wrong tree. A
businessman who makes it is a success, just as a businessman who doesn’t make
it is a failure. Neither of them fit into the hero category.
Heroes are few and far between in this country at the moment.
Not only that, the heroic people we do have are likely to be the most unsung. Merely
surviving, for a good proportion of Kiwis, is an heroic undertaking. Those who
manage in these days under a government which has lost its compassion for its people
are more than heroic. To me they’re made of much tougher stuff than most
businessmen, including successful ones.
The typical businessman Mr Bolger wants us to admire has
some capital to work with. The large group of semi-underprivileged people which
has been created by dole cuts and unemployment (and the Employment Contracts
Act) have no capital. They achieve what they achieve in spite of having nothing
to come and go on.
I believe New Zealand’s real heroes are found in places away
from the noise and bustle, especially away from commerce. These real heroes sometimes
appear in the Queen’s
awards, but their achievements are more often obscured by famous people who
turn up in the lists.
(Actually I’m often astounded by the people who receive
recognition. Film actors for instance – are they really stuff that Knights are
made of? Aren’t they only doing what comes naturally, and what’s very well paid
for? I’d always thought the awards went to people who gave their lives freely
for a cause. Dare I even suggest that many sportspersons receive awards for
doing little more than developing a talent they were born with?)
As I said, I believe New Zealand’s real heroes are found
away from the limelight, and I believe we lost a special hero last week.
This was a man who had given a good dela of his life to
attempting to change the view many people hold, that abortion is okay. He spent
not only his energy in this, but much of his income. The man was John O’Neill.
It takes considerable guts to go against the flow. When we
go against what is right, and the majority know it’s right, that’s foolhardiness.
But when we go against the flow, believing that the majority are wrong, that’s
heroic.
Sometimes a martyr’s blood is shed without immediate result.
During his lifetime John O’Neill seemed to achieve very little in his fight for
right. However, I believe he has not fought in vain, and a time will come when
we finally accord him the honour a hero deserves.
Anti-abortion March by SPUC members 1974
Thank you Mike Crowl once again for a quality item. I too,
pay tribute to John O’Neill. For years I have admired his lone stance on the
abortion issue, and I have often wondered where were those men of position and
money who would profess to be Christian who could have stood beside this man
and shown their support. We have a march once a year. There are those who wear
the little feet on the lapel and subscribe to SPUC but nary a one to say in
public, ‘I stand beside O’Neill.’ Equal with John is Elizabeth, his wife, whose
efforts matched his. I pay tribute to this man, his wife and his family. How proud
the family must be to have such a father. He dared to go against the tide – no waiting…[missing
from clipping] for John O’Neill to see which way it flowed. Such sacrifice…[missing
from clipping]…wasted and since our God reigns we will…[missing from clipping]…results.
Name missing from clipping.
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