Skip to content
Project 2025
Donate to support
diverse voices
Search

Latest Stories

Follow Us:
Top Stories
Cargo containers piled on each other.

The Facts on U.S.–Canada Tariffs Nearly One Year Into Trump’s Plan

When Separation of Powers Becomes a Suggestion

When Separation of Powers Becomes a Suggestion

An illustration of two hands controlling a small person attached to strings.

Parallels and Patterns: George Orwell’s 1984, Hitler’s Nazi, and Trump 2.0

How Republicans May Steal the 2026 and 2028 Elections

How Republicans May Steal the 2026 and 2028 Elections

Post office trucks parked in a lot.

2026 Will See an Increase in Rejected Mail-In Ballots - Here's Why

What is an American hero?

What is an American hero?play icon

Enrique Iglesias performs "Hero" 10 days after 9/11.

David L. Nevins
By David L. NevinsSep 10, 2021
David L. Nevins
David L. Nevins serves as publisher of The Fulcrum. Additionally, Nevins serves as co-founder and Board Chairman of the Bridge Alliance. Nevins brings business acumen, vision and a tireless this-must-and-can-be-done zeal to the burgeoning movement to bridge divides to transform the political process. As a business leader, Nevins excels at building bridges between people and organizations from the right, left and center for civilized conversation and then action. He co-founded the Bridge Alliance because, as he says, “No matter how well managed and how well funded anyone organization is, significant political reform will not happen without an alliance to further collaborative interactions. Together we can and will raise the collective impact of all.” He is a member of the Aspen Institute Society of Fellows, with a focus on the Aspen Rodel Fellowship in Public Leadership, he established and continues to work with The Nevins Democracy Leaders program at Penn State University. Nevins graduated with honors in economics from Penn State in 1969 and received an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1971.
See More Writings by author

What is an American hero? Sometimes American heroes are famous. However, as we well know, all famous people are not heroes.

As we honor the 20th anniversary of 9/11, let us celebrate American heroes whose names we may not know, including the first responder, victim, family and citizen.

September 11 is forever etched in the souls of those of us who witnessed the event.

Ten days after 9/11, Enrique Iglesias performed 'Hero' for the 'America: A Tribute to Heroes' telecast. It is a profoundly moving rendition of a beautiful song, and you can watch his performance at the top of this post.

The Fulcrum will be exploring American heroes in greater depth in the coming months. Who is your American hero? What does the term American hero mean to you? What are the characteristics of a hero that you admire and aspire to? We would love to hear from you. Please feel free to share your thoughts via email at newsroom@fulcrum.us.


Latest news

Warrantless home searches sparked the American Revolution – now ICE wants to bring them back
Governance & Legislation

Warrantless home searches sparked the American Revolution – now ICE wants to bring them back

When the Rule of Law Meets Political Pressure
Justice

When the Rule of Law Meets Political Pressure

Read More

Ukrainian POW, You Are Not Forgotten

Recruits at roll call at the infantrymen's deployment site. Recruits, including former prisoners who have voluntarily joined the 1st Separate Assault Battalion named after Dmytro Kotsiubailo "Da Vinci," take part in weapons handling and combat readiness training in an undisclosed location in Ukraine on November 11, 2025.

(Photo by Diana Deliurman/Frontliner/Getty Images)

Ukrainian POW, You Are Not Forgotten

“I have very good news,” beamed former Ukrainian POW and human rights activist Maksym Butkevych, looking up from his phone. “150 Ukrainian prisoners of war have just been released. One is from my platoon.”

This is how I learned about last week’s prisoner exchange during a train ride from Champaign to Chicago. In addition to the 150 Ukrainian defenders, seven citizens were released on February 5 in an exchange with Russia.

Keep ReadingShow less
A child's hand holding an adult's hand.
"Names have meanings and shape our destinies. Research shows that they open doors and get your resume to the right eyes and you to the corner office—or not," writes Professor F. Tazeena Husain.
Getty Images, LaylaBird

Who Are the Trespassers?

Explaining cruelty to a child is difficult, especially when it comes from policy, not chance. My youngest son, just old enough to notice, asks why a boy with a backpack is crying on TV. He wonders why the police grip his father’s hand so tightly, and why the woman behind them is crying so hard she can barely walk.

Unfortunately, I tell him that sometimes people are taken away, even if they have done nothing wrong. Sometimes, rules are enforced in ways that hurt families. He seemingly nods, but I can see he’s unsure. In a child’s world, grown-ups are supposed to keep you safe, and rules are meant to protect you if you follow them. I wish I had always believed that, too.

Keep ReadingShow less
Trump's Assault on Our Election System and How to Fix It

People voting

Trump's Assault on Our Election System and How to Fix It

  1. I'm not talking about Trump's refusal to concede the 2020 election results. That's a Trump issue; it has nothing to do with the problems of our election system. But Trump's recent call for Republicans to take over the election process, to "nationalize" elections, goes to the heart of this issue's urgency, as does his earlier demand that red states redraw their districts to increase the number of safe Republican seats in Congress.

While elections are inherently partisan, their administration must be nonpartisan. Why? They must be nonpartisan in order to ensure that election results 1) reflect the true, accurate votes of all eligible voters, and 2) ensure that the "one man, one vote" principle is honored.

Current Problems

Redistricting: After each decennial census, each state is required to redraw its congressional districts in order to ensure that each district contains roughly the same number of people, thus ensuring the "one man, one vote" equal representation required by the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution.

Keep ReadingShow less
A New Democratic Approach: Guardrails That Speed, Not Stop, Progress

A take on permitting reform, deregulation, and DHS accountability—arguing for economic growth with guardrails that protect communities, health, and the environment.

Getty Images, Javier Ghersi

A New Democratic Approach: Guardrails That Speed, Not Stop, Progress

For far too long, our national conversation has been framed around a false choice. On one side, Republicans frequently argue that the best way to strengthen the economy and improve the lives of everyday Americans is to give businesses maximum freedom by having fewer rules, fewer constraints and more incentives to grow. On the other side, Democrats have stressed the need for guardrails to protect our environment, our health, and our communities from the unintended effects of unchecked growth.

But this debate has always been too narrow. It assumes that we must choose between action and accountability, between getting things done and doing them responsibly.

Keep ReadingShow less
© Copyright 2026