I loved reading about Dennis Heart's answers to the different questions he was asked. He had such an honest and open way of looking at the world. He came from a poor family but grew up to be a sensitive and hard working man. The portion of his interview that struck me most was when he was asked, "Do you ever cry?" In trying times, many men try to remain strong and put on a facade that says they are brave and nothing can shake them. Heart does not believe this though. He believes that "in order to be a man, I have to have a heart also. This is part of his composure. Every time I cry, I feel more like a man later on," (240). This outlook on life and how men should behave illustrates how brave this man really was. He was comfortable in his skin and was not the kind of person who put on false fronts to try to impress others. This honesty is also seen in his relationship with African Americans. In his day, there was still strong prejudice attitueds against blacks and many of his closest friends held these racist attitudes. Heart, however, was able to look beyond the color of other men’s' skin and see them as equals. The way he speaks about African American men shows how much respect he had for others regardless of their race. He treated everyone with kindness and dignity which was a rare trait in such difficult times, when racism still ran strong through the country. Heart knows that white men do not all hold the same values of honesty and kindness that he does, but he feels that blacks are more capable of this openness. He said that, "I've known white people who make it a habit to cry to gain whatever they want to get. But I've yet to see a Negro cry for his own personal gain. If a Negro cries, he cries because he's truly hurt," (251). This goes to show how much admiration he had for African Americans and how deeply he respected how they lived their lives. He talked about how he believes there is good in everybody. He sees potential for greatness in each person he meets and looks for the positives. Dennis Heart was a caring, honest, and respecting man, making him a wonderful example of the brave souls who changed the functions of American society through his open-minded loving treatment of others.
Tom Kearney also saw the world through an interesting perspective. He did not see everything necessarily as positively as Dennis Heart did, but he still saw things with a very open mind about what was right and what was not. He was not racist against African Americans and was not judgmental of others' behaviors. He was actually quite respectful. I noticed the way he referred to African Americans as 'colored people' and referred to whites as 'Caucasians'. This seemed to be a more respectful way of distinguishing the two groups from each other instead of simply referring to them by blacks and whites. He talked about his views on demonstrations and protests. As a police officer he was opposed to any violation of the law, obviously, but he still supported people's right to protest and speak their minds. This said a lot about his character and his ability to see different people's points of view. He acknowledged everyone's right to speak out against what they found unjust. He also had a very interesting view on his duties as a policeman. He had a very difficult job with many risks to it. He came home exhausted and covered in bruises on a regular basis, but he did not complain. He simply accepted that this was how things worked. He knew what a difficult and dangerous job he was entering into when he joined the police force and he accepted the risks that came with the job. He is a very respectable man because he has such an unbiased outlook on life. He accepts things for how they are and deals with whatever situation comes his way. He works past the obstacles that challenge him and shows respect to others, whether he agrees with their opinions or not. I think he was a very admirable man, not only at the trying times he was reflecting back on during this interview, but also for who is now in present day. He has still maintained that honest and unbiased perspective on life and that is truly something to admire.
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