Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928-1967)

"An intellectual and an idealist, able to speak coherently about Aristotle, Kant, Marx, Gide or Faulkner, he also loved poetry, and was equally at home with Keats as with Sara De Ibáñez, his favorite writer. It is said that he knew Kipling's "If" by heart."
-Jerry A. Sierra discussing Guevara's high level of intelligence.

I realize that this may be a controversial topic, but please read the whole article before arguing your point. Yes, I understand that he could be ruthless and ordered the executions of hundreds of prisoners without giving them a trial. Yes, I realize that Guevara was a communist and that communism is considered "bad" among Americans. Yes, I know that he supported Fidel Castro, who many consider to be a Cuban tyrant. But Guevara stood up for what he believed in and took it to his grave. His last words included: "Shoot, coward, you're only going to kill a man". He witnessed the terrors of poverty and did what he believed was right to try and stop it. He may not be a hero to you but many people believe his efforts were admirable. He was a brave man who understood he was a rebel and would die for his country, yet he still took on the challenge. I believe that any human who can look death in the eye and accept his fate with such passion is a hero.

Born in Argentina in 1928, Ernesto Guevara he became active in politics in his country as well as in neighboring countries such as Bolivia and Guatemala. He attended that University of Buenos Aires and completed his studies in medical work.

"This isn’t a tale of derring-do, nor is it merely some kind of ‘cynical account’; it isn’t meant to be, at least. It’s a chunk of two lives running parallel for a while, with common aspirations and similar dreams."

In 1952, two years before joining the Cuban revolution, Guevara and his good friend Alberto Granado embarked on a one year expedition through South America. During this trip Che and Alberto witness beautiful landscapes of Peru, Argentina, Brazil and other surrounding countries. But they also discovered the horrors of poverty. Ernesto felt connected to these people and wanted to help them. He kept a journal of his travels during the 8 month trip, which soon became published as The Motorcycle Diaries. Some passages include discriminatory remarks against certain races which shows a darker side to Guevara, but his story is about finding himself and his calling. During his travels he learned that he wanted to end poverty and rebel against those who he saw as tyrants. He soon got his chance.

Guevara met Fidel and Raul Castro in 1954. Shortly after their meeting in Mexico, Guevara joined the Cuban revolution. In 1956 Che and the Castro brothers sailed to Cuba to overthrow Fulgencio Batista, a Cuban leader who used terrorist methods, jailed his opponents and hoarded his fortunes for himself and his associates. Guevara and the Castros did not agree with Batista's form of government and overthrew him in 1959. Fidel became dictator and he appointed Che to overlook the La Cabaña Fortress prison, where he ordered the executions of hundreds of prisoners, refusing to give them a fair trial, if a trial at all. He held other political positions including president of the Cuban national bank and minister of industry.

In 1966 he attempted to create a rebellion against the Bolivian government with little success. He gathered a small guerrilla troop and began a new expedition. In 1967 the Bolivian Army captured Che and murdered him. He was executed and flown to the Bolivian capital, where he was positively identified. The commander-in-chief of the Bolivian army wanted to remove Guevara's head for identification purposes, but "settled" on removing his hands for fingerprinting.

Shortly after his death, posters and pamphlets began to spread around the world. T-shirts have been produced in North America and Guevara's face is plastered next to images of Elvis and the Super Mario Brothers. Unfortunately his face is more well know than his life's work, but Guevara has become a legend and will not be forgotten any time soon. His spirit will live on for generations to come and hopefully his message to fight for the poor and powerless will not be forgotten.

Sources:
Time 100
Biography.com
History Of Cuba
the Eyeopener Online

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

"Eleanor shattered the ceremonial mold in which the role of the First Lady had traditionally been fashioned, and reshaped it around her own skills and her deep commitment to social reform. She gave a voice to people who did not have access to power. She was the first woman to speak in front of a national convention, to write a syndicated column, to earn money as a lecturer, to be a radio commentator and to hold regular press conferences."
-Time Magazine in their 1998 Time 100

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (better known as Eleanor Roosevelt) is quite possibly America's most influential first ladies. Although awkward and shy as a young girl, Roosevelt grew into a knowledgeable, powerful woman who would make her mark in American History. Born to Anna Hall and Elliot Roosevelt in 1884, Eleanor was the second of seven children, and the niece of Theodore Roosevelt. Her parents died when she was young (her mother when she was 8 and her father when she was 10) and the young Roosevelt began living with her grandmother in New York where she was educated by private tutors. At age 15, Eleanor was sent t England to attend a girl's school where she met Mademoiselle Marie Souvestre, the headmistress, who had a powerful influence on Roosevelt's thinking. Three years later, she returned to New York where she met Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a distant cousin.

In 1905 she married Franklin and over the next 11 years gave birth to 6 children. During this time she was cut off from her service work in a New York City settlement house, where she had discovered confidence and security. In 1918 Eleanor had a haunting suspicion that Franklin was having an affair. Divorce was threatened, but the issue was resolved. After this incident, Eleanor renewed her relationship with various reformist organizations; focusing her energy on them instead of her marriage. During this time she learned that she had a knack for public speaking and organizing. She formed lifelong friends with other women which heightened Eleanor's sense of security.

In 1921 Franklin Roosevelt, who was the democratic nominee for vice president, became paralyzed with polio. Eleanor took the reigns during this time, traveling the country to discover more about the people that her husband was helping to govern. It soon became clear that the two were a powerful team with the ability to inspire the American public to accept social change. During Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency she traveled through the United States independent of her husband, visiting relief projects, observing living conditions, and bringing about social reform. She often reported back to her husband and helped to advise him in his decisions as president.

When her husband died in 1945 Eleanor expected the media to lose interest in her work as well as her life. But her popularity grew. President Truman appointed her to the United States Delegation to the United Nations. She held the position until 1953, when she resigned. After resigning her position, Roosevelt volunteered with many organizations, was reappointed to the United States Delegation to the United Nations and earned herself a variety of awards. She was also in high demand as a public speaker in the media and in person. She became a well-known writer through her multi-volume autobiography, various columns (including her syndicated column "My Day", which she wrote from 1935 until shortly before her death in 1962), and her monthly question and answer pieces for Ladies Home Journal and McCalls.

In November 1962, Eleanor Roosevelt passed away in her New York home. She remains buried next to her beloved husband at their estate, which is now a national historic site. Eleanor will always be remembered as the "First Lady of the World".

For more information on the FDR National Historic Site, please go here.

Sources:
FDR Library
Time 100

Timothy Treadwell (1957-2003)

"In a filmed scene of Timothy singing to a mother bear, flat on her back, with two cubs nursing on top of her, you imagined for a moment that she too enjoyed the song of gentleness. And you had no doubt that you were hearing a 'bear whisperer.'"
-Louisa Wilcox, close friend of Timothy Treadwell

Timothy Treadwell is best-known as a man who lived among bears. "Grizzly Man" as the documentary of his life claims. Many assumed him mentally insane, others saw him simply as strange. A controversial character, Timothy is rarely remembered for what he lived for, for what he died for; the safety and education of brown bears in Alaska.

For thirteen summers, Tim traveled to Katmai National Park in Alaska where he lived among the grizzlies. He called this place the "Grizzly Maze". He studied the bears intensely, often getting dangerously close to them. He gave each bear he met a unique name and often personified them. During these summer months, he would film himself with the bears, and has captured some of the best footage of grizzlies ever filmed. Timothy Treadwell never carried a firearm on him, never wanting to harm a bear even in the worst situation.

It is a common misconception that Timothy did not understand the danger he put himself in while living among the bears. He was not friends with all bears. He became wary of a bear he called "Demon", and was quoted saying "someone could die out here". He was very aware of his situation and despite not having a formal degree, Timothy had a vast knowledge of grizzlies. He understood that bears rarely attack, but they do, in fact attack, and when they do it is most often fatal. But his bond with the bears, he felt, was worth the risk.

A troubled young man, Timothy found peace and sobriety through nature and bears. He replaced his love of alcohol and drugs with a love of grizzlies and conserving their land. Timothy protected his bears and became territorial of them. In one scene in the movie "Grizzly Man", a documentary of Treadwell's life, Tim filmed visitors of the park throwing rocks at the bears. This angers Timothy bringing him close to tears. Although this may seem odd to many, his passion for protecting his beloved bears is admirable. He was able to recover from his drug problems simply by knowing that he could not be with the bears in an intoxicated state.

Timothy was so passionate about his work with the bears that he left his old life behind and dedicated himself to educating others. He often gave lectures to children in local schools, free of charge. His close friends describe him as one of the most poverty-ridden men they knew. He gave up his life, in more than one sense, for these grizzly bears.

"I will die for these animals. I will die for these animals. I will die for these animals."

Unfortunately, on October 5-6, 2003 Timothy and his girlfriend Amie were mauled to death on their last night in the Grizzly Maze. The only footage of the attack is an audio tape from Tim's camera; the lens cap left on. Due to the video being only audio, there are only speculations as to exactly what had happened that unfortunate night. Many guess that the vicious attack was brought on by a ravaged bear, desperate for food. Jewel Palovak, Timothy's best friend and a former girlfriend, owns most of Timothy's possessions, including the audio tape of his death. She has not made the tape public nor has she listened to it herself. No plans have been made to ever release the tape.

Although his body has left, his legacy and spirit live on in his foundation, Grizzly People, which is dedicated to protecting the bears and the land they claim.

Sources:
Katmai National Park
Grizzly People Tribute to Timothy Treadwell
Grizzly Man, 2005

George H. Mitchell (1946 - 2002)

"He'd have 25 kids going in 25 different directions. But he knew each direction the children were heading in and exactly where he wanted each of them to end up."
-James Lucia, assistant principle of the Meridith G. Williams Middle School

For the most part I will keep my posts unbiased and fairly professional. Although I will occasionally make personal posts on people who I have met and who have inspired me personally. This is a very personal entry dedicated to a man who taught me more about myself than any other teacher could: Mr. George H. Mitchell.

For anyone who knew Mr. Mitchell, you know what an amazing and inspiring man he was to all he met, especially his students. For those of you who did not have the privilege of knowing him, George Mitchell was a fifth grade teacher in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. He was well-known for his fun-loving personality and the disco ball hanging from his classroom ceiling. Mr. Mitchell's classroom held 30 refurbished computers, one for each of his students. He affectionately called his students the "Mitchell's Monsters", telling them "once a Monster, always a Monster".

He had served in the coast guard for five years, during which he earned the title of Lieutenant. Mr. Mitchell also held a bachelor's and master's degrees in education from Bridgewater State College. He was the president of the Bridgewater-Raynham Education Association, a former member of the School Committee and actively supported local youth sports. His dedication and passion for teaching and his students was evident to the entire community, and was always willing to reach into his own pocket for his students, even to the point of paying for children's class pictures if he knew their family was having financial troubles.

A cancer patient almost 30 years ago, George had struggled with the effects of his treatment, but volunteered as a counselor for others who were suffering from cancer themselves. He never thought he would live to see his four children graduate high school, but lived to see the birth of his first grandchild.

Unfortunately, George passed away in his home on Monday May 20, 2002 at the age of fifty-six. Following his death, a former student petitioned students and faculty to rename the Bridgewater Elementary School to the George H. Mitchell Elementary School. Future generations will not have the honor of being taught by Mr. George H. Mitchell but he will forever be remembered and honored for his passion for teaching and his love for his students for all those who pass through his school.

"Once a Monster, always a Monster."

Sources:
Brockton Enterprise - May 20, 2002; Pages B1, B3, B11