Up in the sky it's a bird, no it's a plane. It's Superman!! Superman possesses extraordinary powers, with the character traditionally described as "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. What about Wonder Woman and her Lasso of Truth, which forces those bound by it to tell the truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and an invisible airplane. Okay so by now I guess you've all figured out that I watched far to many cartoons as a kid and read far to many comic books. Guilty as charged! It's a real shame we don't have any ordinary people who could fit the descriptive role of Superman and Wonder Woman in the real world. The planet is doomed to absolute failure right? Not so fast, maybe we don't have to wait on Superman or Wonder Woman anymore because just maybe there already here.
Superman was on full display last Saturday morning in Tucson, Arizona in a shopping mall. Superman's name is Daniel Hernandez Jr., the intern of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. According to the Arizona Republic reporting,
Daniel Hernandez had been U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' intern for five days when she was shot Saturday outside Tucson. The junior at the University of Arizona was helping check people in at the "Congress on Your Corner" event when he heard gunfire. He was about 30 feet from the congresswoman. When the shots began, he ran toward them. Okay now folks how many of us would seriously consider running towards gun shots? Anyone? I consider myself a fairly good individual and while I can't say for certain what I would've done if I had been on the scene, I can tell you that I most likely would have waited for the gun shots to cease and then I would have done what I could to help the victims. That's why Daniel Hernandez Jr., is Superman and I'm not. The Arizona Republic goes on to report,
Using his hand, Hernandez applied pressure to the entry wound on her forehead. He pulled her into his lap, holding her upright against him so she wouldn't choke on her own blood. Giffords was conscious, but quiet.
Ron Barber, Giffords' district director, was next to her. Hernandez told a bystander how to apply pressure to one of Barber's wounds. Barber told Hernandez, "Make sure you stay with Gabby. Make sure you help Gabby."
Hernandez used his hand to apply pressure until someone from inside Safeway brought him clean smocks from the meat department. He used them to apply pressure on the entrance wound, unaware there was an exit wound. He never let go of her. So the next time somebody tells you Superman doesn't exist tell them yeah he does, his name is Daniel Hernandez Jr., and he's 20 years old.
What about Wonder Woman you might ask? Wonder Woman step aside because you ain't got nothing on Christina-Taylor Green. Christina-Taylor was a straight-A student. The "9/11 baby" sang on the church choir and was best friends with her older brother. She had just been elected class president at Mesa Verde Elementary School and had planned to start a club at her school to help less fortunate classmates. It was that civic-mindedness that led her to a Safeway supermarket in Tucson Saturday morning. Christina-Taylor "talked about getting all the parties to come together so we could live in a better country," her mother said Sunday. "She was going to Giffords' event to ask questions about how she could help and to learn more about politics in our country." Her promise of a bright future in public service was snuffed out when she and five other people were shot and killed by a man who police say went to the venue to kill Giffords, 40. Christina-Taylor was a tireless debater, and very strong-willed."She was tenacious ... We nicknamed her the bobcat," her father said in an interview with "Good Morning America" anchor George Stephanopoulos. "She'd give a little snarl when she didn't like something." Her parents described their daughter as a selfless girl. "She was vibrant, she truly just wanted to be helpful in the community and help others and just get involved," her mother said. "She always wanted to get involved." Indeed, shortly before she was killed, she had cleaned out her room."She put all these toys and clothes and shoes in various bags and she couldn't wait to go give them away to someone who was less fortunate ... she was strong, she was brave, she was fearless, but she also had a kind heart and she was sweet," her mother said. Christina-Taylor Green didn't need indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and an invisible airplane to become a Wonder Woman, she lived her short life like a Wonder Woman each and everyday.
A Wonder Woman does what you might ask yourself? Well how about freeing two African-American Sisters from jail. By the way they served 16 years in jail for being accused of robbing a bank of $11. With no major help from organizations this Wonder Woman decided to rally the people first in Mississippi, then around the entire United States, and then the entire World. This tireless Wonder Woman was on the radio every moment speaking about one of the biggest civil rights injustices since the voting rights act conceivably. I'm not talking about Rosa Parks folks, I'm talking about a living, breathing Wonder Woman named Nancy Lockhart.
Need another example of a Wonder Woman? What about a woman who decided to become friends with an inmate at a women's correctional facility in California. This female inmate's crime to which she received life in prison with no chance of parole was due to the fact she killed a misogynist animal pimp who repeatedly molested her when she was 13. This Wonder Woman who sounded the alarm on this grave injustice also received no help from any well-known organizations. This Wonder Woman decided to create a website dedicated to correcting this human rights injustice. I'm not talking about Ida Bell Wells-Barnett, I'm talking about a living, breathing Wonder Woman named Kim Deanne.
So you need one more example of a Superman you say? How about the teacher at a school for children with autism who died a hero in Bourbonnais, Illinois on Monday, pushing one of his students out of the way of an oncoming bus. Thomas "Jim" Dunn, Jr. had been working as a mentor to the 19-year-old male student for over a year. On Monday, like every school day, the two crossed the street from the Camelot Therapeutic Day School to a gas station to grab a soft drink. On their way back from the gas station, a River Valley Metro Mass Transit bus turned onto the road they were crossing. The student was in its path, until Dunn leapt out and shoved him out of the way, according to initial witness statements. Dunn was struck, rushed to the hospital, and pronounced dead that afternoon. Mr. Dunn wasn't wearing a super hero costume from the local Dollar General Store, he didn't need it. He was already a Superman.
Each and everyday we hear a violent story on the nightly news and maybe during the last five minutes the anchorman or anchorwoman will report to you that a dog or cat was saved from a tree by a man who happened to hear the dog or cat bark or meow in the tree. After were done watching the news and getting ready to get our much needed sleep that night we all wonder to ourselves whether or not the vast majority of us our like the individual who rescued the cat or dog from the tree or are the majority of us like the lead story about some guy or girl shooting someone. In the back of of our minds we all hope that the majority of us are the type of people who rescued the dog or cat from the tree but the lingering voice in our subconsciousness tells us it's a violent world and that guy or girl who rescued that cat or dog from the tree are the exception to the rule. We don't have to wait for Wonder Woman or Superman anymore folks. There is a Superman or Wonder Woman in every neighborhood in America and if we took half or at least a quarter of the time highlighting that Superman or Wonder Woman in our very own community the country and world would be a better place.
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