Volodymyr Zelensky and Elizabeth Cheney

Heroes show courage and fortitude against their own apparent self-interest, on behalf of something good and important.

Heroes have honor.

West Point's Cadet Honor Code: "A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

In the days after 911 we heard the comment about fire-fighters: "They ran toward the burning buildings." They were heroes.

The occupants of the World Trade Towers were frightened crowds, exiting the building, escaping. The firefighters moving up the stairs were doing the hard thing, trying to save lives. They honored their duty. We honor them for that.

Elizabeth Cheney--Liz--repositioned herself out of a GOP scrum of ambitious politically predictable conservatives. She is now in a position of national leadership. She stands out because she stands for something bigger than herself, and she is doing it under fire, against her apparent self-interest. She is condemned for it, but doing it anyway. It is politically dangerous for her. That is what makes her heroic.

Few readers of this blog will think that I share Liz Cheney's overall politics. I mostly do not. She was a steadfast hawkish conservative, a fossil-fuel state GOP loyalist. She is political "royalty," with a family-name brand. She elevated quickly to the number-three position in the House GOP.  She had a future as a GOP loyalist. She was not noticeably different from any other camera-seeking ambitious GOP politician, each more concerned with team spirit than with any higher principle.

We were wrong about Liz Cheney. She has principles. Something was more important to her than her re-election and continued popularity among Republicans. American democracy itself. She was an eye-witness to an effort to overturn an election. 

She could have mumbled and equivocated. It is what other "good Republicans" are doing. They say they don't completely agree with Trump's tweets and methods, maybe, but they certainly agree that a Democrat in the White House is a disaster. She could say the Trump effort to overturn the election got out of hand. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding. She could have finessed this.  

Honor sets a higher standard. "A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do."

Trump was dishonest. His actions were wrong and dangerous. She would not stand for it, nor tolerate people who do. Obeying the will of the people, expressed in elections, is the centerpiece of democratic government. She supports democracy. Period. She stands for something and won't tolerate lying about it. 

A cynic might observe that this is actually a well-disguised act of political self-interest, with Cheney playing the long game.  Perhaps she was betting Trump-worship within the GOP will exhaust itself. Possibly a tape-recording of the Zelensky-Trump phone call will emerge, and it will be obvious that Trump didn't just ask for a "favor, though," but that he really put the screws to Zelensky. Possibly Mike Pence, Pence's aides, or a legal counsel will reveal smoking-gun evidence that turns the tide of opinion. But probably not. People are "taking the Fifth" and GOP voters prefer Trump stick to his story. She was thrown out of the House leadership. She is widely, thoroughly condemned by the people who control her political future. It looks unequivocal: She is running toward the danger to American democracy. She had honor. She is a hero.

Speaking to Congress

Volodymyr Zelensky burst onto the international stage as a hero because the words attributed to him were, "I need ammunition, not a ride." He was staying, not running. The Russians were coming for him. The easy, smart thing to do would be to set up a government in exile. He would be escaping danger. His job was to be there, in danger, symbolizing the principle of Ukrainian democracy. He had honor. He is a hero

Zelensky and Cheney. Heroes.

Amid all the cynicism about politics, humans seek out authenticity and heroism. Sometimes we see it among people we agree with, sometimes with people we do not. But we recognize it and admire it.