Vision and the Last American Hero

Columns

Discussion

June 21, 2009

Don McNay The Daily Independent Sun Jun 21, 2009, 11:17 PM EDT

I’ve got a name, I’ve got a name

And I carry it with me like my daddy did

But I’m livin’ the dream that he kept hid

-Jim Croce

t

The Last American Hero is a 1973 movie about race car legend Junior Johnson. It was based on a profile of Johnson written by Tom Wolfe for Esquire Magazine.

Johnson had dreams, determination and the willingness to go against the powers that be.

In short, he had the make-up of a natural entrepreneur.

When Johnson started driving, NASCAR took place on dirt tracks in small towns. Now it is a multi-billion dollar business. Johnson had a lot to do with that growth.

Johnson made a unique mark and helped to create a unique industry.

The way that entrepreneurs often do.

I’ve been a critic of the Wall Street bailouts since day one. “Too big to fail” corporations with greedy and out-of-touch management should have been allowed to die.

Instead, they are propped-up by taxpayers. They are using those tax dollars to crush potential competition from start-up businesses.

There are many long-term ramifications of the bailouts. Our children, grandchildren and great-grand-children will pay a high price for the mistakes that Wall Street and Washington made.

One of the greatest tragedies will be if potential entrepreneurs are discouraged instead of being encouraged.

The spark that drives a person to be an entrepreneur is more than about making money.

Businesses are started by people with vision, who passionately want to show that vision to the world.

It is about individuality and not sucking-up to people wanting you to conform.

It’s all about breaking away from the norm. The theme song of the Johnson movie is Jim Croce’s “I’ve Got a Name.” And that sums up the spirit of entrepreneurship: people wanting to make a name for themselves.

I saw The Last American Hero on a movie channel. It ought to be shown on the Fox Business Network and CNBC. In a world where AIG and Citigroup have become the perception of American business, we need champions like Junior Johnson to inspire us.

At no point in the movie did I see Johnson apply for a government bailout. Even when his father needed a bailout, as in getting bailed out of jail, (they were in the moonshine business) the Johnson family didn’t go looking for a handout. Junior got creative and started racing cars.

That decision led to a multi-billion dollar industry that employs thousands of people.

That wouldn’t have happened if Johnson had been able to get a government bailout.

Trillions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on bad management with bad businesses.

The biggest tragedy will be if the bailouts stifle creativity and innovation.

Instead of giving the money to Wall Street, I would prefer we allow Main Street companies to have easy access to capital and show us their newest ideas. A lot of people are hurting right now. We need programs that encourage those hurting people to work hard, innovate and create businesses that make an impact that lasts for decades.

We need to be enabling the next American heroes.

DON McNAY writes for the Richmond (Ky.) Register.

Text Only

Columns

Mark Maynard: Charles will be in charge: 2/9/12
It was at least mildly interesting a couple of weeks ago when the deadline for filing for local elected offices came and went without much fanfare.

February 8, 2012
John Cannon: After passion, love still grows: 2/8/12
While a naive student at Morehead State University more than 40 years ago, my then girlfriend made me an offer I could not refuse. It was only later that I learned I should have refused it.

February 7, 2012
Cathie Shaffer: All that’s old is new again: 02/07/12
Every night before I go to bed, I click on my electric blanket. There’s nothing I like better on a cold — OK, lately, it’s been coolish — night than a nice, warm bed.

February 7, 2012
Tim Preston: Art downtown, ‘hippie’ soap, Valentine’s and living-dead machines: 02/05/12
I’m not certain this is anything that could be classified as a trend, although I have noticed something in downtown Ashland I am compelled to encourage.

February 6, 2012
Freeways to freedom
Last week, while driving to South Shore, I glanced at the dealer placard on the car ahead of me on the Jesse Stuart Bridge.

February 6, 2012
Lee Ward: 02/05/2012 — Dieting is a man's world
A male coworker is dieting, apparently for the first time.

February 5, 2012
Katie Brandenburg: Finding a time machine: 2/3/12
My grandmother once told me a story about a boy she grew up with who built a time machine in his family’s shed.

February 2, 2012
John Cannon: Not a chore but a true labor of love: 2/1/12
It was a slow and tedious task, but it was anything but work.

January 31, 2012
Cathie Shaffer: A whiff of the past: 1/31/12
It occurred to me, as I listened to a conversation about today’s home medical treatments versus yesterday’s, that one big factor is the smell.

January 31, 2012
TIM PRESTON: Downtown scenes, Valentine’s dinner, bacon and running
Tim Preston's weekly business column for Jan. 29.

January 30, 2012
More Columns Headlines

Columns

Search Results

Discussion

Vision and the Last American Hero

Site Map

Contact Us