Thomas Clement Douglas

Tommy Douglas Web (I made it.)

My hero is Thomas Clement Douglas. Tommy Douglas was born in 1904, in Falkirk, Scotland. His family moved to Canada in 1910 for a better, more productive life. Douglas had two sisters. When money was tight, Douglas and his sisters had to drop in and out of school. They had occasional jobs to help pay the school fees. When he was only ten, Tommy Douglas developed osteomyelitis, which is a bone infection. His leg had to be operated on before the infection spread to the rest of his body. A visiting surgeon offered to operate for free, if his students could watch. As a result, Tommy Douglas decided that everybody should be able to depend on the hospital and to afford fees. This started his lifelong ambition to create Medicare.

Tommy Douglas (I made it.)

Tommy Douglas’s life is remarkable. He invented Medicare for the people, so they could afford hospital fees. Douglas is remarkable because he looked for ways to improve the quality of life for others. He selflessly worked for the creation of the Saskatchewan Power Corp. This enabled isolated farms and villages to have their electrical service extended. He is brave for standing up against the raging doctors who got lower wages because of Medicare. I think Tommy Douglas never gave up because he kept on fighting for Medicare and as premier of Saskatchewan, he had to be positive to live in those times. Tommy Douglas cared for the people. He had humility for not bragging when he was winning in the fight for Medicare. In his fight with the doctors who were against Medicare, he showed how much he cared for people by not worrying about his own personal safety. He continued to push for Medicare until it was accepted practice. His most troubled trait was being grateful. It was sometimes hard to be grateful when everybody was putting pressure on him. I learned that no matter what, don’t give up. Don’t let anybody push you around. Three lessons somebody might learn from Tommy Douglas are: he never gave up; he was selfless and responsible; je didn't judge a person’s life style just by looking and talking to his or her enemies. His enemies were doctors. This doesn’t mean he had an unsuccessful life. He did many great things to help everybody. Tommy Douglas was Christian. One deadly sin is selfishness. He was not supposed to commit this. He tried his hardest, and he did not commit this sin, or any other deadly sins. This helped him create Medicare for the people.

Tommy Douglas in front of a newspaper. (I made it.)

I think a hero is somebody who doesn’t do something for fame or fortune. A hero does something because it is the right thing. I think Tommy Douglas is a hero. He thought of others first, and not of himself. Medicare is now active because of him. He did this because it was the right thing to do. Being well known means you are famous. Being a hero means you have the qualities of a hero. Sadly, Tommy Douglas died of cancer on February 24, 1986, at the age of eighty-one, in Ottawa. He has a grandson named Kiefer Sutherland, star of the TV series 24.

The Douglas-Coldwell Foundation was established in 1971. This foundation promotes socialism, and provides scholarships for students. In 1981, Douglas was made a Companion of the Order of Canada. In 1985, he was awarded the Saskatchewan Order of Merit. In the mid-1980’s, Brandon University created a students union building in honour of Tommy Douglas and his old friend, Stanley Knowles.

I chose Thomas Clement Douglas as my hero, because I think Medicare is a very important thing. It helps people every day. I have learned that if you are doing something for the good of others, although it may not be easy, you should keep trying, because it is the right thing to do.