photo #1429044

Happy birthday, Davy Crockett! (August 17, 1786)Someone once asked me, "Who's your hero?" I answered, "Davy Crockett."It started with his popularization by Disney in the 50's, then by John Wayne in 1964. That was the pop culture of my day, and after all, to Texans, Davy was the quintessential Texan.As an adult, the more I learned about Davy Crockett, the more my respect grew.He had a moral compass and was willing to stand up for the right, no matter what the consequences.He was willing to put his life on the line to fight the Creek Indians who were attacking his neighbors. But, when, as a Congressman, he saw the president of his own party attacking the individual rights of the Cherokee, he stood up to the president of his own party under whom he had served in the military and many of his own neighbors, and lost his seat in Congress.While in Congress, a constituent taught the Constitution to Davy and he was man enough to switch positions based on principle. (DuckDuckGo the wonderful, "Not Yours to Give" story, if you are not familiar with it.)And, finally, of course, he was willing to lay down his life to stand up against the tyrant, Santa Anna, at the Alamo.Guys, it doesn't get any better than that!I think we all need heroes to inspire us to be the best we can be in our lives. Davy Crockett is at the top of my list.KrisAnne Hall, a modern-day hero says "Liberty over Security. Principle over Party. Truth over Personality." I think Davy Crockett lived and embodied those principles.