It has been impossible to avoid hearing about the news
coming out of Cleveland this past week. Three women had been held captive in a
house for almost a decade, unbeknownst to the surrounding neighborhood. Only
this week, when a neighbor heard a girl trying to escape, did anyone have any
idea what was going on.
The man who heard Amanda Berry was Charles Ramsey, a 43 year
old African American man, who lived next door. Almost overnight, he became one
of the most recognizable men in America, at least for the remainder of his 15
minutes of fame. He has been touted as the hero of the case, having done what
was right and what was necessary in a time of need for a young woman he didn’t
know.
As any YouTube search of this man will tell you, there is
far more going on in this character than the title “hero” can clearly state.
First of all, the man is clearly brasher than what many believe to be the
common model of hero. His humorous spin on a horrible situation includes a
description of the captor’s genital endowment, as well as a menu for the
interaction he had had with his monster of a neighbor. His colorful antics have
led to a viral video campaign, both of his initial interview and subsequent “remixed”
editions.
Within days of his “heroic” actions, however, the news media
was having a field day with this man. A record of his past with run-ins with
the law have surfaced, forcing the man to answer questions on a public scale
that otherwise could have remained private. His description of his meal during
the time of the incident, McDonalds, has been scrutinized for whether or not he
was looking for some sort of public relations interaction with the corporation.
His face now even appears tattooed on the leg of a man in Cleveland who was so
moved by Ramsey’s actions.
With one decision, this man not only put himself into
position to do what is right in one given moment, but also set himself up for
intense media surveillance for however long the public sees fit. In many ways,
this has overshadowed the real issue at hand. Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and
Michelle Knight are now able to return home to their families after their
terrible ordeal. Ariel Castro, the man who kidnapped and raped these three
women, is finally revealed for the heinous excuse for humanity that he is. And
the world is just a little better off knowing that this one case has been
brought to a close.
Yet the story is continually muddled. The public wants a
hero, wants to be able to put up a protagonist against the horror that was
Ariel Castro. For every bad guy, there must be a good guy. And in that moment,
Charles Ramsey was a good guy. He did what was needed of him in the moment. In
no way shape or form does that require him to become a celebrity, though, and
it is up to the public not to be too disappointed when he doesn’t take off his
glasses and reveal a cape and super powers.
It doesn’t take a hero to be heroic. It takes a good man,
doing the right thing. Something more people should strive to do more often.
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