Clemente

Well, unfortunately I missed all but the last few minutes of the Clemente American Experience program. I plan to watch it on the PBS website later. Did anyone see it?

As our Heroes theme winds down, I've been thinking about the heroism of Roberto Clemente. I think it was Charles Barkley, the basketball player, who proclaimed a few years ago, "I am not a role model". And frequently our talented athletes are not very heroic off the field. Clemente was different. He showed courage and persistence in making it to the big leagues at a time when there were very few Spanish speakers in the majors. He perservered through some lonely times to become one of the greatest players of all time. But his most heroic acts took place off the field. He was intensely proud of his Puerto Rican heritage and very concerned about the poor of his native land. His mantra in public speaking engagements was "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this earth."