September 14, 2010

The Power of Example

When a diminutive Florida “preacher” threatened to burn a copy of the Koran on the anniversary of 9-11 it had an international impact for one reason: the media fell into his hands as they lavished attention on the little man looking his two minutes of fame.

Culture Challenge of the Week: Two Minutes of Fame

When a diminutive Florida “preacher” threatened to burn a copy of the Koran on the anniversary of 9-11 it had an international impact for one reason: the media fell into his hands as they lavished attention on the little man looking his two minutes of fame.

While he ended up calling off his absurd stunt, fame-seekers in Tennessee, Kansas, and Wyoming, quickly scrambled to the waiting spotlight by making similar threats. In the process, they - and the media that was so eager to give them the spotlight - threatened the lives of military and intelligence personnel and fanned the flames of hatred both here and abroad. For what? Instant celebrity? To increase ratings?

It’s ironic that these high profile cases of bad example threatened to eclipse the legacy of selflessness, courage and perseverance given by the quiet heroes of 9-11 nearly a decade ago. In the days and months following that tragic day, America was inspired by the bravery of firefighters, the self-sacrifice of exhausted medical and rescue workers, and the generosity of ordinary Americans driven to ease the suffering of fellow citizens. They labored, and they gave, unmotivated by press attention or personal gain. And their goodness inspired others to become better people. The negative lessons of the past weekend are many: the “power” of the media; the craving for instant celebrity; the idiocy of making “stars” out of idiots. But the positive lesson of the power of personal example is one which must not be lost.

The heroes of 9/11 and the glory-seeking villans of the past week illustrate how our daily choices will have an impact on others. As the book of Proverbs reminds us, “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.” (Prov. 12:26, ESV).

How to Save Your Family by the Power of Example

Mindful of the stark contrast between the media-hungry Koran-burners and the quiet, persevering heroes of 9-11, what should we teach our children about the power of example? Three things come to mind.

First, a good example doesn’t need a spotlight to be influential. Our celebrity culture makes it easy for our children to assume that they need fame if they want to achieve something good. We need to remind them that doing good does not require a celebrity platform. It starts in our own circles of influence, in our daily decisions.

Second, our example is most powerful when it’s consistent over time. It’s not hard to search our own memory banks for the consistent witnesses who inspired us to be better. I remember glimpsing my own father, on his knees by his bed, praying for his patients-an image so profound it continues to inspire me to practice my own faith to this very day.

Finally, as parents we need to remember that being a good example starts with us. While friends and the media have a tremendous impact on our teens, guess who they name as the most powerful influence in their lives? You. A recent study found that one of the strongest predictors whether a young adult will participate in volunteer work or charitable giving is whether their parents did. I can’t think of a better way to honor the legacy of those who perished in 9-11 than by claiming the power of good over evil. It begins in the hearts of each one of us, and spreads by the power of a good example.

Who We Are

The Patriot Post is a highly acclaimed weekday digest of news analysis, policy and opinion written from the heartland — as opposed to the MSM’s ubiquitous Beltway echo chambers — for grassroots leaders nationwide. More

What We Offer

On the Web

We provide solid conservative perspective on the most important issues, including analysis, opinion columns, headline summaries, memes, cartoons and much more.

Via Email

Choose our full-length Digest or our quick-reading Snapshot for a summary of important news. We also offer Cartoons & Memes on Monday and Alexander’s column on Wednesday.

Our Mission

The Patriot Post is steadfast in our mission to extend the endowment of Liberty to the next generation by advocating for individual rights and responsibilities, supporting the restoration of constitutional limits on government and the judiciary, and promoting free enterprise, national defense and traditional American values. We are a rock-solid conservative touchstone for the expanding ranks of grassroots Americans Patriots from all walks of life. Our mission and operation budgets are not financed by any political or special interest groups, and to protect our editorial integrity, we accept no advertising. We are sustained solely by you. Please support The Patriot Fund today!


The Patriot Post and Patriot Foundation Trust, in keeping with our Military Mission of Service to our uniformed service members and veterans, are proud to support and promote the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, both the Honoring the Sacrifice and Warrior Freedom Service Dogs aiding wounded veterans, the National Veterans Entrepreneurship Program, the Folds of Honor outreach, and Officer Christian Fellowship, the Air University Foundation, and Naval War College Foundation, and the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation. "Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13)

★ PUBLIUS ★

“Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!” —George Washington

Please join us in prayer for our nation — that righteous leaders would rise and prevail and we would be united as Americans. Pray also for the protection of our Military Patriots, Veterans, First Responders, and their families. Please lift up your Patriot team and our mission to support and defend our Republic's Founding Principle of Liberty, that the fires of freedom would be ignited in the hearts and minds of our countrymen.

The Patriot Post is protected speech, as enumerated in the First Amendment and enforced by the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America, in accordance with the endowed and unalienable Rights of All Mankind.

Copyright © 2024 The Patriot Post. All Rights Reserved.

The Patriot Post does not support Internet Explorer. We recommend installing the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, or Google Chrome.