Why do the U. S. citizenry and residents’ worship and so generously reimburse celebrities, professional entertainers and sports stars, and the U. K. royal family? It is sickening to me to see vast wealth being accumulated by those that have no claim to fame other than initial family wealth and good genetics. Many worship ephemeral traits such as female and male aesthetics (beauty), artistic and sports abilities, or the ability to write a spellbinding novel or movie.
The real heroes are those individuals who volunteer to fight and quite possibly die upholding our national interests, principles, and values (about 1 – 2% of the population currently in the military). Another even larger set of heroic people are our healthcare providers. Also let us not forget the instructors, parents and other family members, professors, teachers, and other mentors that helped to mold us into who we are today.
I have many heroes in my extended family tree. My kin volunteered for military duty and other forms of service such as being medical doctors. My great-grandfather Jordan was trained in medicine after the Civil War in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Jordan like many country doctors of his day performed practically the whole spectrum of medical arts and sciences of the times. He especially was known in Clay and Randolph counties in Eastern Central Alabama as an excellent doctor to deliver babies. My niece on my deceased sister (died recently of ALS) is a medical doctor in Georgia and was a general surgeon until just a while ago. While in medical school at the Medical College of Georgia, she volunteered with Doctors Without Borders and was on an assignment to Honduras.
Numerical Explorations 