Wherever you are, wherever you go, you will always encounter many different types of people. There are different extremes of being a ‘good guy’ or a ‘bad guy’, but we all experience both types of people in our lives. Points of view and opinions are what make someone feel that someone else is a good guy or a bad guy. A good person has a moral heart; they are someone who is looking out for himself/herself and others, but a bad person does not have the kind of motives that are encouraging them to make good choices, or they simply are out to be reckless and destructive.
In my opinion, ‘bad guys’ or bad people are few and far between. When looking around me as I sit in a classroom, walk along the sidewalk, or shop in a store, I may encounter others who appear to look as if they are up to bad things and are not doing what they should be. I would not consider these people bad guys, but rather people who have made bad choices in their lives and engage in bad behavior.
A much different view can also be looked at when talking about good guys and bad guys. Instead of thinking about a person who you have found to do a few wrong things, you can look at the main groups of people in history who have really been considered to be ‘bad guys’. I would equip the Vikings with the description of being bad guys because they were ones who raided areas of land and were referred to by monks as “devils from hell.” (http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=2039&HistoryID=ab86>rack=pthc)The Christians were the victims of the Vikings. Christians were just an innocent group of people who were attacked and brought down by the Vikings. “In 793 A.D., the Viking raiders attacked a monastery where they held monks in captivity.” I would not look at these facts as being good, therefore I would not look at the Vikings as good people. They were powerful and successful, yes, but their ways of gaining their power and success were not justified. They were very skilled and talented, but I think these good qualities are quickly diminished when hearing of their raids. The Vikings did leave a legacy in England, which turned out to be a very good thing, but the end just does not justify the means. (http://www.family-ancestry.co.uk/history/vikings/england/)
I would consider most people in my life to be categorized as good guys. We all make mistakes because we are human, but I do not believe that anyone I know is intentionally mean, deceitful, barbarous, or bad. If you look at things with a broader sense of view, I am sure that a few people or groups of people come to mind when thinking about good guys. You can think about all of the good people you know, and you can also think about the really great people in history that have made an impact on us today. Take, for example, Martin Luther King Jr. and the people who followed him. He was an average American who turned his dreams into reality, in the best way that he could. He led the American Civil Rights Movement, and led it with dignity and courage. He was fighting in a respectful and appropriate way to get his point across that we are all equal and all need to be treated with equality. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.) Martin Luther King Jr. was truly a good person who believed strongly in the equality of humanity and conducted himself in a dignified way while fighting for a cause which changed our country.
Certain qualities will be obtained if you are a good person or a bad person. To determine who is a bad guy and who is a good guy, conclusions can be drawn based on points of view, information known, and experiences with that person.
Works Cited
Family Ancestry. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://www.family-ancestry.co.uk/history/vikings/england/>.
History World. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=2039&HistoryID=ab86>rack=pthc>.
Wikipedia. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.>.
Picture Source:
Wikimedia Commons. Web. 18 Mar. 2010. <http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leif_Ericson_on_the_shore_of_Vinland.gif>.
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