This is my first blog posting and it seems to me to be some how appropriate to begin the same way I began my first column for the Parkside Ranger in 1993.

Then as now I lament the fact of the lack of inspirational or for lack of a better term heroes for people to look up to an aspire too emulate.

Look at the Drudge report and the report of the rapper who would not report a killer because it would hurt his business and/or violate his ethics.  Hurt his business??  Violate his ethics??  Is this what we have come to??

One can only wonder how Teddy Roosevelt, his cousin Franklin or even Bobby or John Kennedy would react to this kind of garbage.

I wrote in 1993 that I thought that Winston Churchill was the hero of the 20th century (he was so judged by Time magizine as the hero of the first 50 years of the 20th century).  Sadly he was not PC enough to be judged so by the oh so tolerent and benevolent left at the end of the century.

So that begs the question who are today's heroes, or at least people of merit who deserve some measure of respect and maybe asperiations to immitate.

In no real order I offer some choices.

A.  Norman Schwartkopf:  His leader ship in the first gulf war was outstanding.  In retirement he keeps to him self does not critize and carrys himself with dignity and respect.

B.   Bill Cosby:  Think about what he has accomplisched, how he has conducted himself and how he wants to help the african american community.  Than think of the race hustlers like the rappist drudge quotes or Sharpton or Jackson.

C.  President George H Bush (AKA: 41).  He conducts himself with class in comparison to a certain other ex-president who shills for his wife or another ex democrat persident full of bitterness and anit-semitism.

D.  Joe Torre:  Manages for an ogre of a owner and does so with dignity and class.

E.  Lovey Smith and Tony Dungy:  For the way they conduct themselves and the way they  coach.

F.  The many members of the armed forces who go about doing a hard and thankless job with bravery and commitment.

I could name many who are sadly no longer with us, but I wanted to limit it to living for the time being.

I close by listing

Billy Graham:  For helping many avoid an eternity without God and for the way he has conducted his life and the class way he has handled his declining years and health.