[:en]National Heroes Day[:id]National Heroes Day[:]
National Heroes’ Day
November 2, 2017Raising a Thankful Child
November 2, 2017[:en]
By Jocelyn Djohan (10 Science 2)
What comes up into your mind when someone mentions the word ‘hero’? Maybe an image of a man- or woman- in tight spandex and a mask comes to mind or someone who does something extraordinary to save the world, but what does the word mean?
According to the Oxford dictionary, a hero is ‘a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.’ Wikipedia states that a hero (masculine) or heroine (feminine) is a person or main character of a literary work who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength, often sacrificing their own personal concerns for a greater good. In my opinion, a hero is someone who does or contributes something beneficial to the society. Heroes don’t always have to go to war, wear capes or flashy costumes, and the problems they fix are not always apocalyptic. They can range from small, everyday problems to major ones that can change the world.
Here in Indonesia, we celebrate National Heroes Day on the 10th of November every year. The day commemorates the battle of Surabaya in 1945, in which pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militia fought against British and Dutch troops during the Indonesian National Revolution, and to honor those who have contributed so much to achieve freedom from the colonizer’s grasp. Ki Hajar Dewantara, Ir. Soekarno, and Mustopo are a few of the many examples of the National Heroes of Indonesia. The title ‘National Hero’ was given to them because they have risked their lives and had fought the cold hard battle for our country’s independence. Some of the heroes were heavily injured and some died during battle. Others were punished and executed for their rebellion but they kept on pushing forward to achieve independence. They were courageous, loyal and determined enough to be able to reach their goal which was to free Indonesia from colonialism and slavery.
Role models are someone we look up to and we sometimes take their actions as an example and imitate them. These actions should be the ones that give a positive impact to the society and not the other way around, although it is common to find people idolizing someone whose actions are questionable. But with the positive traits mentioned, the National Heroes are capable of being fantastic role models for the young generations today. They can learn so much from these historical figures by following their actions although it does not mean a war must happen just for us young generations to be able to apply the actions into play. We can apply these traits and actions in everyday lives such as the act of never giving up even if the challenges ahead are terrifying, having a fiery determination to keep on going to accomplish a certain goal, to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good, and to always fight for what we believe is true and what is right.
National Heroes Day is just as important as Independence Day and National Education Day. It is the day we are reminded of those who have struggled to achieve independence. The National Heroes played a major part on making what Indonesia is now. We should follow their examples and continue forward to build a better future for our country. Who knows, maybe someday one of us will be dubbed a ‘National Hero’ too. After all, not all heroes wear capes.
[:id]
By Jocelyn Djohan (10 Science 2)
What comes up into your mind when someone mentions the word ‘hero’? Maybe an image of a man- or woman- in tight spandex and a mask comes to mind or someone who does something extraordinary to save the world, but what does the word mean?
According to the Oxford dictionary, a hero is ‘a person who is admired for their courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.’ Wikipedia states that a hero (masculine) or heroine (feminine) is a person or main character of a literary work who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or strength, often sacrificing their own personal concerns for a greater good. In my opinion, a hero is someone who does or contributes something beneficial to the society. Heroes don’t always have to go to war, wear capes or flashy costumes, and the problems they fix are not always apocalyptic. They can range from small, everyday problems to major ones that can change the world.
Here in Indonesia, we celebrate National Heroes Day on the 10th of November every year. The day commemorates the battle of Surabaya in 1945, in which pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militia fought against British and Dutch troops during the Indonesian National Revolution, and to honor those who have contributed so much to achieve freedom from the colonizer’s grasp. Ki Hajar Dewantara, Ir. Soekarno, and Mustopo are a few of the many examples of the National Heroes of Indonesia. The title ‘National Hero’ was given to them because they have risked their lives and had fought the cold hard battle for our country’s independence. Some of the heroes were heavily injured and some died during battle. Others were punished and executed for their rebellion but they kept on pushing forward to achieve independence. They were courageous, loyal and determined enough to be able to reach their goal which was to free Indonesia from colonialism and slavery.
Role models are someone we look up to and we sometimes take their actions as an example and imitate them. These actions should be the ones that give a positive impact to the society and not the other way around, although it is common to find people idolizing someone whose actions are questionable. But with the positive traits mentioned, the National Heroes are capable of being fantastic role models for the young generations today. They can learn so much from these historical figures by following their actions although it does not mean a war must happen just for us young generations to be able to apply the actions into play. We can apply these traits and actions in everyday lives such as the act of never giving up even if the challenges ahead are terrifying, having a fiery determination to keep on going to accomplish a certain goal, to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good, and to always fight for what we believe is true and what is right.
National Heroes Day is just as important as Independence Day and National Education Day. It is the day we are reminded of those who have struggled to achieve independence. The National Heroes played a major part on making what Indonesia is now. We should follow their examples and continue forward to build a better future for our country. Who knows, maybe someday one of us will be dubbed a ‘National Hero’ too. After all, not all heroes wear capes.[:]
