Memorial Day: The Civic Virtue of Basilone and Harambe

Memorial Day always gives Americans an opportunity to remember the heroes in uniform. My friends at the Bill of Rights Institute have created a great lesson to remember one of these American heroes, John Basilone of the First Marine Division, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his gallantry in the Pacific during World War II. Like many heroes, Basilone paid the ultimate price, demonstrating civic virtue by laying down his own life in the service of his country. For more about John Basilone, click here to view the lesson from the Bill of Rights Institute's Voices of History project.

John Basilone's Grave (Something Original - Wikipedia)

Basilone's heroic exploits were commemorated in HBO's WWII series, The Pacific.

Not All Heroes Wear Uniforms

Harambe with Boy (Fair Use)

In fact, some heroes don't wear anything, at all! Two years ago today, Harambe gave his life to rescue a boy he believed to be in trouble. While I have often used Harambe as an illustration of Social Darwinism, as Harambe might be alive today if he had thought more about whether a boy who would fall into a gorilla pit was deserving of his help, the anniversary of his death on Memorial Day has prompted me to see this differently. 

Harambe's death, seen in the light of civic virtue, becomes less of a tragedy and more of a celebration of the virtuous spirit of so many Americans who have risked their lives for a greater cause - something beyond themselves and the mere desire for survival. 

​Today, as we remember our nation's heroes - both with and without uniforms - what can we do today to develop our own sense of civic virtue?