Heroes

In school, we have to do an essay for a contest we can enter. The theme this year is, "Does America Still Have Heroes?" My teacher wanted us to go down the military route, but since I'm not that patriotic, I didn't do that. Here is my essay.

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I believe that everyone has the potential to be a hero, but most of us just don’t use that potential. Some do not see their magnificent potential, while others would prefer to use their time senselessly entertaining themselves with watching TV, gossip, video games, and thousands of other sources of useless entertainment. There are still many heroes left in America, however, but the majority of people do not realize how bad this country needs them and that they can choose to be heroes themselves. Helping others and saving lives can be achieved in unintentional situations, but people can also choose to help others by donating, volunteering, being active in a cause worth fighting for, and getting into a profession that helps others.
Most people will have a chance at least once in their lives to save one person in a situation they never imagined themselves being in. Many people, however, do not upon their chance. Even if you just save an ugly, disgusting bug from being stomped on underneath someone’s foot, you are still a hero to that bug. However, most people get the chance to save even a large life form, such as a human.
An example of saving someone in an unintended situation would be what a close adult friend of mine did. Without thinking of her own danger, she ran into a burning apartment building and woke everyone up inside. If she hadn’t woken them up, they might’ve not gotten out alive, because the firemen didn’t come until about fifteen minutes later.
There is an easier way to help others than running into a burning building, however; you can donate to a reputable cause. The most effective way to save a life by donating is to donate a bit of your blood. However, many people have a huge fear of needles, so they think they wouldn’t be able to donate their blood. There are many other necessities you can donate, however, such as food, clothes, animal food, and much more. Without these necessities, those who depend upon the help of the community can easily die. If you wish not to visit the store, you can make a monetary donation, instead. There are also Internet sites that donate for free, like Freerice and Goodsearch, if you don’t have the funds to do so yourself. However, donations given through these sites are only minimal.
If you have any spare time on your hands, you can also volunteer. Many organizations lack enough volunteers. For most of these organizations, they wouldn’t be able to run without volunteers, because the volunteers are the basis of their organization. A few of the types of organizations you can volunteer for are animal shelters, tutoring programs, soup kitchens, hospitals, fire departments, and almost any non-profit you can think of. You can also take it upon yourself or create a group to clean up streets, so they are safe to drive and walk on.
Another way to help others and even sometimes save lives is to become active in a cause worth fighting for. Activists take it upon themselves to put a stop to the wrong-doers of our country. There are many ways to do this; some include protesting, sending letters to the wrong doers, boycotting a wrong-doing company, and educating those who support such a company. Believe it or not, just about everyone can be an activist. You don’t even have to meet the wrong-doers face-to-face. In fact, you don’t have to meet anyone face-to-face if you are too shy to. Of course, face-to-face activism is much more effective than more anonymous forms of activism. Whatever type you do is well worth it, however, because one person can create a great impact. They can also create a domino effect and get others to become active, too.
There is definitely a cause for everyone to fight for, because there is such a copious amount of causes out there. Just find a cause you are passionate about and find ways to become active in it. Of course, it’ll take lots of practice before you’re pro for it, but the work is definitely worth it. Some causes that may interest those who wish to help others include human rights, animal rights, environmental preservation, women’s rights, gay rights, breast cancer awareness, and thousands more. Many of those causes are vague, so there is a ton of room for creativity and individuality.
The last but definitely not the least way to be a hero is to have a profession that helps others. You can be a medical doctor, psychologist, veterinarian, fireman, policeman, and many more things if you wish to help others. Even inspirational writers and musicians can help others. All of these jobs can even save lives, whether it is directly and indirectly.
I believe that everyone can become a hero, but most just don’t try for whatever reason. Some waste their time with mindless entertainment while others don’t realize their potential. To become a hero, you can unintentionally end up in a situation where a hero is needed, donate, volunteer, become active in a cause worth fighting for, and have a profession that helps others. Use that potential; your world needs it.

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What do you think of my essay? What else does it need?