My Heroes

I've had alot of time and reading to determine the people whose lives I really look up to. Individuals who stood out so much in history that their impact can't be denied. Suprisingly they're people whose birthdays we don't specifically celebrate. People who even took a great degree of negative criticism in history. However without these individuals the United States and the entire world would be a very different place. Far from the democracy dominated place we live in today.

Marquis de La Fayette

Without a doubt the person whose live I celebrate the most is the French born American Lafayette. He was a true knight fighting for glory and freedom of mankind. Lafayette came to America at the onset of the revolutionary war against the wishes of the governing body in France. At 19 he was the head of the most influential family in France and the French monarchy wanted to stay directly out of the American revolution. Regardless he made an "escape" to the American colonies using his own money to volunteer to serve in the revolutionary war. He put his reputation, his forune, family and his life on the line to come to America to fight for our cause.

Lafayette served as a general and an ambassador for the fledgling United States. He was wounded badly in his first battle and fought courageously in several engagements for our cause. He worked tirelessly for the cause of the United States and loved the ideas of liberty and freedom even though they were contradictory to his position as a high ranking noble figure. Lafayette had a severe dislike for slavery and worked on ideas to end the practice.

It's my view that he courageously did more for democracy and freedom than any other European that I know of. He sacrificed his fortune, family and easy life in France for ideals of freedom. I celebrate the mans life and wish I could be a tenth the man he was.