The assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) has fueled debate about nature of hateful rhetoric and its potentially violent consequences.
The story within the story? Giffords’ life was saved by her intern, Daniel Hernandez, who kept her alive until ambulances arrived. The story within the story within the story? Daniel Hernandez is gay.
A college student, only a few days into his new internship with Giffords, Hernandez ran straight into the fray to begin triage on her and others in an attempt to save lives and salve the damage done. When I first heard about this story, I wanted to cry.
Most of us want to believe we’d be that person, to just act on our best and most noble nature and dive in to help.
I don’t know that if push came to shove, that’s what I’d be capable of. I might just freeze like a rabbit, or hide out of terror. I might not be able to act as boldly as I advocated recently about the hate crime against Austin’s Bobby Beltran.
It’s easy to say, “Stop the violence, get in there, stand up for others.” But I’ve never been tested like that, not like the passers-by on Fourth Street in Austin and certainly not like Daniel Hernandez was tested on Saturday January 8.
His couragous heart certainly saved Giffords’ life.
Hernandez is , as has been reported, openly gay.
I’m not sure how this makes me feel. I don’t think, necessarily, that his being gay is the make-or-break piece of his heroism. I don’t think that it isn’t, either.
Why do we grow into heroes or villains, if not based how we’ve lived and what struggles we’ve gone through? Color and sexual orientation are a part of that. Also a million other things. Those challenges and trials can make or break us. And although I know little about this man’s young life, I do know that he’s Latino and gay in a state that is not proven all that fond of either, that he acted out of dedication, strength, character, and sheer love for his fellow humans in a circumstance that would likely make many of us cower in a corner while all hell is breaking loose.
His actions and his choices makes me proud, makes me challenge myself to figure out what creates the difference between freezing and stepping up. He’s an everyday person who serves as an inspiration, and every bit of his life helped bring him to the point where we can surely say… He’s a damn hero.
A friend of mine, a staunch advocate for the LGBT community, and a damn funny lady, Sara Benincasa is a writer for Wonkette and also thinks of Daniel Hernandez as a Superhero. She has made a Facebook Fan page for Daniel.
I encourage you to “like” it, leave him a loving note, and to continue to be a voice of peace and progress no matter your color, orientation, or anything else.
This article appears in 2010.