Heroes

In the past weeks we have given new thought to what constitutes a hero. Suddenly, on the morning of September 11, 2001, the qualities we look for in heroes changed. Our true heroes are not the people we see on the big screen doing impossible but visually tantalizing feats. Our heroes are not the people who jump the highest on a basketball court, run the fastest on the football field, or act the meanest in any sport. Even heroes from a distant but carefully recorded past who founded this country are not - today - our leading heroes.

Today, our heroes are what every three-year-old red-blooded American boy (and lots of girls) wants to be: firemen and police officers. Having seen these people as heroes since toddlerhood, it is easy to see them again in the role of hero. But let's look more closely at the real picture.

What is a hero? A hero is a person who, no matter what, does the right thing. A hero is a person who, no matter how difficult, does what is needed. A hero is a person who risks his or her own life to save someone else. A hero is a person who runs into a burning building to help other people get safely out. A hero is a person who inspires us and makes us wish we were better, stronger, braver, and wiser. A hero is something to try to be - even though most of us don't quite get there.

How much do we care about heroes? Listening to and reading the news and looking at pictures from September 11 and the following days brought us together in our admiration of the people who rushed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the face of terrible disaster to save people. We can only say the most wonderful things about them. They are the symbols of America, of what we believe in, and of our determination to stay who we are and not tolerate terrorism.

Perhaps the most inspiring picture shown that day was the fire fighters who salvaged an American flag from the Pentagon and raised it in triumph for all of us to see. The picture was eerily familiar and actually took place not far from the Iwo Jima Monument. For days, that picture encouraged us and inspired us.

How much do we value our heroes - including the heroes who brought that flag out of the Pentagon? Right now our answer is "a great deal." After all, a hero is a hero. We admire them immensely. We can't imagine life - to say nothing of survival - without these wonderful people who make us proud to be us.

But - here's the real test: how much do we pay our heroes? Anyone who has spent much time with the Community Reinvestment Act knows the answer - and it's pretty sad. Because firemen and police officers are usually in the moderate income category. That is certainly the case in New York City and Washington, D.C. Worse yet, in many rural areas, we don't pay firemen at all. They are volunteers.

As bankers, we can't change this country's salary structure. Goodness knows, plenty of bank employees are low- and moderate-income too. But what we can change is how we look at things - like CRA. What can change is what we do about it. We can see that CRA is more than simply compliance. It is help for heroes. CRA - like OFAC compliance - is one of the things that financial institutions actually do to make a difference. We can tackle CRA with enthusiasm and give something back to our heroes.

Things look different, don't they?

Copyright © 2001 Compliance Action. Originally appeared in Compliance Action, Vol. 6, No. 13, 11/01