Hero and Civic Space

Today is the best day to reflect back on heroism. Why is someone given the title of hero? When and what makes a person a hero or a villain?

SALOMO TOBING

Bivitri Susanti

A hero, according to the Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia (Big Indonesian Dictionary), is a person who stands out for his courage and sacrifice in defending the truth -- a brave warrior. In reality, a hero is often determined by those in power. A person can be considered a hero at one time by one group or considered a villain by another. Likewise, many heroes -- people who defend the truth -- can appear in spaces whose breadth is determined by the rulers.

Administratively, the rank of hero is pinned by the government, similar to a title. It is like giving "service stars". It often happens that those who are given the title of hero or given a service star by the state are in the elite circle, namely those whose names can enter historical records, because state verification requires documents and recognition of authorities. A person can become a hero because of his position as a war commander, policy-maker and of course, official. Service stars are even given automatically to heads of state institutions under certain conditions.