America still has heroes. They are barely seen and never heard. One can find a hero volunteering in a soup kitchen, collecting cans at a local food pantry, or sorting jackets from a winter coat drive. These people are nameless and often faceless. While these people barely get a pat on the back, scientists win awards and money for developing a more efficient weapon of war.
America still has heroes. These people make it their life's mission to seek justice above convictions in the courthouse. These men and women cross the crime scene tape without intimidation or bias. They set out to right the wrongs of society rather than further pollute the waters of corruption that may be.
America still has heroes. They are saluted at parades holding the flag. They are mourned by loved ones who hold the flag that other service men and women have folded into a triangle in their honor. They put themselves in the direct line of fire so that civilians don't find themselves in it.
America still has heroes. They are the mothers and fathers who work several jobs day in and day out to pay for their children to have clothes on their backs, food in their stomachs, and education stimulating their minds. They are the parents who have trouble making ends meet, so they cut corners where ever possible and defy natural selection and survival of the fittest, sacrificing all they can for the benefit of those whom they love.
America still has heroes. They are the best friends who go the extra mile out of their way to support each other no matter what. They are the shoulder to cry on, and the person to laugh with not caring what the rest of the judgmental world thinks of themselves.
America still has heroes. They are the holy men and women who devote themselves to the churches with no concern for what the secular world's opinion of them may be. They stand up for what they believe in. The war of religion is ongoing, and their weapon of choice is faith.
America still has heroes. Look around. The person next to you is one. I, the author of this essay, am one. You, the person reading this essay, are one. Congratulations, and I salute you.