Exactly eighty years ago, the United States was experiencing arguably the worst year of the Great Depression. Yet in the midst of all that widespread suffering, an unlikely hero emerged. His name was John Dillinger.
Dillinger botched a hold up and served eight and a half years in prison, then got arrested again after robbing a bank in Ohio. But he had persistence. Sprung from jail, he and the Dillinger Gang went on to rob several banks and raid several Indiana police arsenals. Unfortunately, officers learned John was visiting an area brothel. And on July 22nd, 1934, they gunned him down outside the Biograph theater near Chicago. He was a tragic hero of sorts, if only an exciting distraction from the early signs of Midwest starvation.
As bad as it was, the Great Depression could at least be measured according to things like the gross national product and median incomes. Our modern depressive era is less quantifiable, measured by way of Zoloft prescriptions and time spent in animal therapy. It is probably too early to tell which is worse. But one thing is certain: we at least have superior heroes. Yes, we enjoy proper role models for our children, honorable and genuine men who would never threaten the lives of others or associate with promiscuous women. Obviously, I’m talking about Jon Jones and, to some extent, Daniel Cormier.
Enjoy this ten minute video of Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier preparing for the most rousing challenge of their lives. Imagine if these futuristic heroes could have replaced John Dillinger as the inspiration for starving young men of the 1930s. It is a fantastic thought. We are truly blessed to live in an age when unblemished gods walk among normal men.
