Vote For The Most Inspiring Controversial Person Of The Year

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http://www.beliefnet.com/story/157/story_15736_1.html Home > Inspiration > Most Inspiring Person of the Year, 2004





poll

Which of these often divisive figures most inspired you in 2004?

George W. Bush
John Kerry
Mel Gibson
Michael Moore
Condoleezza Rice
Barack Obama
John McCain
Howard Dean
Bill Cosby


View Results


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Today's Top Picks









Taking Sides: The Most Inspiring Controversial Person of 2004

By Holly Lebowitz Rossi



More than any other year, in 2004 we saw on Beliefnet's message boards that one person's hero is another person's villain. Though we wanted in our main Most Inspiring Person list to emphasize those who united, it is also a fact that part of what makes some people inspiring is their willingness to provoke, challenge, or do or say things that are unpopular and divisive.

The people on this list, for the most part, powerfully inspired one segment of the population while infuriating or disgusting another. In each case, advocates believed that the person in question showed guts, steadfastness, and integrity in pursuing what they believed to be moral aims. We invite you to vote and discuss which of them inspire you and why.

George W. Bush
Supporters believe that he fought hard for moral and just causes even when they were politically risky or unpopular among elite opinion-makers. Many other Americans are inspired by his personal faith journey and his willingness to talk openly and forthrightly about it.
John Kerry
Supporters were inspired by Kerry's hard work, persistence in the face of strong political attacks, and his earlier courage in Vietnam and as an anti-war protester. They were proud of his performance in the presidential debates and believed he articulated a vision of justice for those less fortunate.

Mel Gibson
Gibson’s film “The Passion of the Christ,” released in February 2004, was a gamble for the action star, who invested $30 million of his own money to make it. The film truly inspired many, prompting outpourings of emotion and on-the-spot conversions to Christianity.

Michael Moore
Documentary filmmaker Moore turned his camera on the war on terror with his hugely provocative and controversial movie “Fahrenheit 9/11." The film, which accused the Bush administration of fostering a culture of fear in the wake of the September 11th attacks, inspired Kerry voters and gave confidence to opponents of the war in Iraq.

Condoleezza Rice
White House national security adviser Condoleezza Rice is the first African-American and the first woman to hold that position. Rice has been an articulate advocate for President Bush’s military policies in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a lynchpin of the war effort. In January, she will succeed Colin Powell as Secretary of State, the first African-American woman in that job.

Barack Obama
Obama’s passionate and well-argued keynote speech at the Democratic National Convention inspired Democrats to be proud of their progressive heritage. “We worship an awesome God in the blue states,” the now-freshman senator from Illinois famously said.

John McCain
Unlike many pundits and politicians who frequented TV news shows this year, John McCain maintained his reputation for bipartisan fairness. The Republican senator from Arizona campaigned for President Bush but refused to attack John Kerry's war record or descend into the gutter.

Bill Cosby
The legendary African-American comedian and lovable TV star risked his noncontroversial appeal to take provocative stands on issues he cares deeply about. This year, Cosby repeatedly criticized black entertainers and other African Americans for using bad grammar, and spoke out against illegitimacy, crime, and poor parenting in the black community.

Howard Dean
Dean's presidential campaign energized and mobilized supporters, especially young people, to get involved in the election. Dean's outspoken anti-war views emboldened other Democratic politicans to be more critical of the Bush administration's Iraq policies.








Holly Lebowitz Rossi is a freelance writer.



I chose Michael Moore.

[sbj405]

1. How could anyone place Obama in the "divisive" category?

Guess I shouldn't be surprised as Mel and * are running neck and neck.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. DU THIS!!

* is winning

:puke:

[norml]

7. Yes, DU this poll!

I should've put that in the title.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. I picked Howard Dean. And I am going to keep picking him until * is not

winning any more!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ooglymoogly]

4. i picked micheal moor

the freepers are all over this one. micheal is not far behind *

[bryant69]

5. Inspiring and controversial?

Which one is more important? I mean Barak Obama is very inspiring but I don't find him all that controversial (except in the sense that some people just plain don't like black people). I also found president Bush very inspiring, in that he inspirited me to hate him more and more. As for inspiring and controversial I'd vote for old Michael Moore.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[norml]

6. Here's their non-controversial most inspiring person of the year.

Home > Inspiration


WINNER:
Pat Tillman


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why We Chose Him
Pat Tillman, who walked away from an NFL career to volunteer for military service after 9/11, stands for bravery and much more.
By Steven Waldman,
Beliefnet Editor-in-Chief

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite our intention to keep divisiveness out of the Most Inspiring Person this year, even acts of heroism are viewed through the lens of politics. Judging from online comments and our conversations with people about this year's nominees, it seems those who see mostly tragedy in the Iraq war are most inspired by Spc. Joseph Darby, who blew the whistle on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, or Margaret Hassan, the director of Care in Iraq, who devoted her life not to killing but healing.



Sponsor






Those who see nobility in our Iraq effort were more likely to praise either Pat Tillman, the football-player-turned-soldier, or Jason Dunham, the young marine nominated for the medal of honor who gave up his life to save other soldiers.



The finalist who received the most votes was Cpl. Jason Dunham, the marine who sacrificed his life to save his unit. Dunham garnered 33% of the vote.


Poll Results
Reeve 21%; Bibi 11%; Tillman 9%; Fantasia 8%; Hassan 5%; Smarty Jones 5%; Reagan 4%; Darby 4%; Schilling 1%



We would hope that all of us could see the extraordinary courage in all four of them. Surely war supporters can admire Margaret Hassan for staying in Iraq, at obvious personal risk, to help suffering Iraqis (the point of this war was, after all, to help Iraqis) or understand that one cannot promote a moral war while concealing the immorality of prison torture. Surely even the war's most outspoken opponents can appreciate the sacrifice evident in Pat Tillman’s story or the extraordinary courage and valor of Jason Dunham, who flung his helmet and possibly himself on a live grenade to protect the lives of others. Dunham won our "People's Choice" award among Beliefnet users. As one friend of Dunham’s wrote, "What he did for his fellow soldiers and for mankind in beyond comprehension. In our small town of Scio he will NEVER be forgotten."

In the end, despite the great physical or moral courage of all four of them--and the incredible stories of the six other most inspiring finalists: Christopher Reeve, Nancy Reagan, Fantasia, Smarty Jones, Mukhtaran Bibi, and Curt Schilling--we choose Pat Tillman as the most inspiring person of the year.

Tillman, who walked away from a multimillion dollar NFL career to volunteer for service after 9/11, was deployed in Afghanistan, where American soldiers successfully overthrew a tyrannical regime that was subjugating its population and harboring Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. Tillman was killed there in April.

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Photo Credits: Getty Images (Fantasia, Curt Schilling, Nancy Reagan, Margaret Hassan); Arizona East Valley Tribune (Pat Tillman); Corbis (Joseph Darby prison photo); horsephotos.com (Smarty Jones); wikipedia.com (Mukhtaran Bibi).
Our Other Finalists

Nancy Reagan
Advocate & caretaker


Fantasia
From poverty to "Idol"


Christopher Reeve
Champion for the disabled


Spc. Darby
Abu Ghraib whistle-blower


Curt Schilling
Led Sox to historic win


Margaret Hassan
Murdered humanitarian


Smarty Jones
"People's racehorse"


Cpl. Jason Dunham
Brave marine


Mukhtaran Bibi
Rape survivor

[sportndandy]

8. Write in vote for Eagles wide receiver Terrel Owens