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Two men who gave their lives deserve to be called heroes

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  • Originally published July 29, 2008 at 12:06 a.m., updated July 29, 2008 at 12:06 a.m.

A man is a hero, not because he is braver than anyone else, but because he is brave for 10 minutes longer.

– Ralph Waldo Emerson

A colleague here at the Advocate had a conversation with me not long ago in which we came to an agreement that the word “hero” was being overused in modern society. To really be a hero, we agreed, a person has to perform some act of valor in the defense of others.

Why are we so quick to call people heroes? Well, we figured maybe in a period of time where people are feeling more and more helpless against the forces that press down on them, they just need to believe in heroes that can save them from it all.

Well, as Will Rogers once said, “We can’t all be heroes. Some have to stand on the sidewalk and cheer as they go by.”

Today, I’d like to cheer two true heroes.

The first one is Greg McKendry, a 60-year-old churchgoer who was attending services with others in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sunday when a crazed gunman entered the church. He killed one person with his shotgun, but then Mr. McKendry jumped in front of him and took a blast in order to shield his fellow worshipers.

Mr. McKendry died, of course, but others who were wounded in the attack lived, thanks to this hero.

My other hero is closer to home – right up the road in Houston.

His name was Luis Monroy, and he was the manager of a Chili’s restaurant.

Last Thursday, a customer who had been drinking in the restaurant’s bar began to make unwanted advances on a Chili’s employee. After being rejected, he left, but witnesses said he returned later, and as Mr. Monroy was walking the female employee to her car to make sure she was safe, the gunman approached and shot him several times.

He died right there on the restaurant parking lot, but the woman made it to safety.

Maybe my colleague and I are right. Maybe some of our heroes are too quickly made.

But not these two men.

They should be laid to rest with all the honors we can bestow.

The Bible says that there is no greater love that a man can have than that of laying down his life for a friend.

And it’s as if he put Greg McKendry and Luis Monroy on this Earth to prove it.

Jim Bishop is a senior editor for the Advocate. Leave him a message at 361-574-1210 or jbishop@vicad.com or comment on this column at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com



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