These
are the days when people talk about martyrs and martyrdom
more than ever. Many debate about the real meanings of
the terms, in the popular media and in various other places.
While it remains for time to prove if such high virtues
have been misconstrued or not, let us focus on the people
who have shown those qualities that would get them martyrdom,
beyond doubts or debates.
One of the dictionary meanings for the word is 'One who
makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further
a belief, cause, or principle.' Who qualifies for such
a title more than the fire fighters and law enforcement
personnel of our great nations. These are people who know
exactly what they are doing and what it takes to do so.
They are conscious that they are putting their life on
the line, when it is required or demanded by the situation.
One reporter made an indisputable observation in the aftermath
of the September 11 attacks on America about the firefighters
of New York city "They ran inside the burning buildings
when everybody were running out of the buildings to safety."
The fire fighters may have been trained to face any extreme
situations like these, but it takes sheer courage and
extreme grit to run in the direction of danger.
The people, who guarantee our safety in the roads we drive
and the sidewalks we jog, do so more often than not by
risking their lives. This is becoming an era of Hollywood
style high-speed chases covered live by the media. Though
these chases have become so popular that there are television
channels exclusively for chases, they let us get an inside
view of all the actions. The officials involved have far
more responsibilities than the suspect who doesn't mind
driving through the on-coming traffic or through the unsuspecting
pedestrians. Still they ensure safety and security of
others when serving justice to the criminals.
If you have ever wondered the true color of a martyr,
look no further. Today's martyrs wear uniforms that we
all recognize and they are proud of.
Happy Living!
