Jessica Watson – A National Hero
After 210 days at sail around the world Australia’s daughter of the seas has returned home and we couldn’t be more proud.
However, with the wide selection of accolades that can be given to this 16 year old girl from Queensland, none has caused more controversy than that of “hero.”
Throughout some of the responses to the media observed there seems to be a division between whether Jessica can be labelled a hero or not. The most popular argument being something along the lines of her ‘not saving any lives’ and therefore should not be considered a hero. Not even the girl of the hour agrees with the label.
But for what it’s worth I believe it pays to revisit the definition of “hero.” And in Jessica’s case, I do believe she’s a hero. After all, she did pull off 210 gruelling days at sea, silencing the critics and curbing conventional preconceptions of teenage girls. Who knows what extraordinary things could spring up from this (see: the Ripple Effect).
And for those who complain about the ‘excessive’ coverage and think “who cares?” I suppose you’d rather enjoy news that reminds of the cruelty and suffering around the world? Finally some good news comes our way amongst the mountains of crap going on – soak it up for what it’s worth while it lasts.
Tags: heroes
May 18th, 2010 at 9:14 am
ok… i just don't see how it's good news. she didn't die? that's the good news? people doing risky things because they happen to be able to get the money to do so doesn't really inspire me. there are people doing heroic things every day. i just don't think her story is heroic enough to get all that attention. some attention, sure. call me a cynic… but don't you think corporately sponsored heroism gets an unfair slice of the 'heroism' airplay?
May 18th, 2010 at 10:57 am
yes well you need to remember the context here: she's a 16 year old girl. how many 16 year old girls do you know achieve a round the world trip on their own? let alone 16 year old female heroes doing 'typical heroic things'. i bet if you gave any other 16 year old girl the money equivalent to a boat and a year's supply of food you wouldn't see them taking an adventure, just a lot of shopping bags…
Jessica's feat is good news because it speaks volumes about the human spirit.
May 19th, 2010 at 8:40 am
yes well you need to remember the context here: she's a 16 year old girl. how many 16 year old girls do you know achieve a round the world trip on their own? let alone 16 year old female heroes doing 'typical heroic things'. i bet if you gave any other 16 year old girl the money equivalent to a boat and a year's supply of food you wouldn't see them taking an adventure, just a lot of shopping bags…
Jessica's feat is good news because it speaks volumes about the human spirit.
May 19th, 2010 at 10:20 am
i disagree. i think there are hundred of 16 year old girls doing heroic things every day. i think there's a sexism inherent in the initial outrage of 'how can you let a girl do something risky' and now the 'wow- a girl did that, girls can't/don't usually do heroic things'. i think things like 16 year olds caring for disabled or sick family members while being academically successful, fighting their own illness, or suceeding in fields which get less recognition are all examples of young female heroism and yet get so little airplay people are only presented with the media image of the consumerist, self-obsessed teenage girl. and i think the difference in this case is that she got sponsorship, and generated outrage at first and therefore media attention. good on her, but really she is far from the one shining beacon of young female 'heroism' she is being hailed as.
you know, just my opinion 😛
May 19th, 2010 at 10:50 am
i see where you're getting at, but to be quite frank the examples of heroism you gave are boring 😛 inspiring as they may be in their own right they all happen within the expectations of society, which isn't a bad thing, it's just that they don't get people talking about it. but does giving someone 'excessive' coverage take away the label of a person being a hero? i'd like to think not, in fact in jessica's case in order to inspire others she needed the coverage. if she didn't then her efforts may have been in vain. do i see her as a 'shining beacon'? no, but she still is a hero.