Dave Pelzer

Dave Pelzerhttps://freshfiction.com/author.php?id=9809The official definition of a hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. As outrageous as it seems everyone possess heroic traits, but not everyone is a hero. A hero must have all or most of the heroic traits to be proven a hero to the public eye. Dave Pelzer is a person that displays most of the heroic traits. He ¨grew up in San Francisco and, from the age of four until he was rescued in 1973, age 12, his drunken mother made a scapegoat of her third son, using him as the family slave”(Jardine). Dave was then sent into the system of foster homes, but anything was better than the abuse his mother gave him. Once he turned 18 Dave enlisted in the army; which molded him into the person he is this day. After having a new perspective on the world Dave Pelzer began to inspire others with his motivational speeches and his autobiographies. “In 1993 Dave was honored as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Americans and in 1994 was the only American to be honored as one of The Outstanding Young Persons of the World. Dave was selected as Torchbearer for the 1996 Olympic Torch relay” (Web). Today he accepted and made peace with his past. He is now a loving parent striving to be something his mother never could. To be a hero a person must possess the traits selflessness, bravery, and kindness. Selflessness is putting others needs before yourself. Bravery is the act of putting yourself through pain and suffering to make a situation better. Kindness is being compassionate and caring for other people. Dave Pelzer is a hero because he was able to overcome his obstacles as a child, and turn his misfortune into something positive for others. By doing so he is raising awareness of how serve child abuse is, and changing lives at the same time.

Dave as a childhttps://anewscafe.com/2012/04/26/redding/dave-pelzer-international-best-selling-author-of-a-child-called-it-speaks-in-redding-frida/Dave Pelzer overcame his hardships as a child which made him into the hero he is today. Most people do not have to go through a fraction of what Dave went through.¨His mother treated him with freakish cruelty. She starved, stabbed and burnt him. She made him swallow ammonia and pushed his face into a nappy full of his brother's faeces. She called him 'It” (Kellaway). His mother made him miserable when was a kid, but he kept fighting so one day he would have a better life. He shed light and made safe havens out of his situation. Dave found ways to defeat his mother’s game of torture. He can relate to challenges other people went through as well. ¨At age 12 Dave was finally rescued and placed in a series of foster homes until he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at age 18. Even with all that was against him, Dave was determined to better himself - no matter what the odds. As a member of the Armed Forces, Dave was hand-picked to mid air refuel the highly secretive SR-71 Blackbird and the F-117 Stealth Fighter, which played a major role in Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield and Desert Storm” (Web). After he was free from his mother he gave himself more obstacles to make himself a better person. Dave decided not to play victim and try to do something which was meaningful to him. Naturally any change takes a huge amount of bravery. Dave gave himself this job so he could thrive and make himself a stronger, better person. Dave overcame his obstacles as a child and was able to move forward from his past which takes a huge amount of bravery and self discipline. Dave Pelzer got over his first hurdle in his life where he demonstrates the heroic traits he posses.

Dave giving one of his speecheshttps://www.ramstein.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/306173/dave-pelzer-thanks-ramstein-airmen/After Dave’s horrible childhood memories he was able to use his bad experience to try and help other people not go through the same thing. He does this anyway he can by writing books, giving speeches, and doing interviews. “For over two decades, Dave dedicated his life helping others . . . to help themselves. While many make excuses and seem pessimistic, Dave carries the banner in a nation where opportunities are endless in what he calls ‘The Greatness of America’. And through his work, you will too”(Web). He lives by making a better life for himself and  other people. He gives insight into what it’s like to overcome something so people know that they can conquer it too. He believes in America and that there are opportunities for everyone no matter what someone’s background is. This demonstrates he can turn his misfortune into help for others by saying the american dream does not care where you are from or your backstory. Dave also works for a better life for his family. “This openness, combined with his determination to be a good father, has meant that the cancer of abuse has not spread to Stephen, the child of his first marriage, now 22. ‘You can't have met a happier child in the history of the universe,’ says the proud father” (Jardine). He works hard to forgive himself so his son can have a better life. Dave has made a better life for his son. He stopped the chain of abuse for his family by working on himself. Dave is a hero because he took time to work on himself;  his selflessness has benefited others in so many ways.

Book cover of A Child Called "It"https://www.alibris.com/A-Child-Called-It-Dave-Pelzer/book/1050201Dave demonstrated that he overcame obstacles as a child and was able to turn it into something positive for others. This gives Dave the title of a hero and inspiration to others. Dave Pelzer went through horrible abuse as a child and was able to escape it at age 12 and be removed to foster homes. At age 18 he joined the army so he can better himself. Finally as an adult he wanted to spread the word of how you can overcome challenging obstacles, he told people his story by the books he wrote and his speeches. “Into those long working hours he fits writing, lecturing, saving people and constant travel.If there's a disaster, he's there. Whether it's boosting the morale of American troops in Iraq, helping those made homeless by Hurricane Katrina or responding to a child who has disclosed abuse, he wants to be there, telling people that he survived and so can they.’My message has always been about resilience,’ he says of his seventh and latest book, Moving Forward” (Jardine). Dave does everything for everyone else. He knows what pain feels like and he doesn’t want anyone to go through what he did. Everyone thought the abused kid was just going to fall into the same trap his mother did. But Dave wasn’t a statistic, he was a hero.

Works Cited

Jardine, Cassandra. “Dave Pelzer: 'You Don't Get over It, Just Accept It'.” The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group, 20 June 2008, www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/donotmigrate/3554740/Dave-Pelzer-You-dont-get-over-it-just-accept-it.html.    

Kellaway, Kate. “No Pain, No Gain.” The Guardian, 24 Feb. 2004, www.theguardian.com/books/2004/feb/15/biography.features.

Web, Wanna. “About Dave Pelzer.” Dave Pelzer - The Official Site - About, www.davepelzer.com/about.html.