Who Is Louis Riel A Hero

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Benedict Arnold was a notorious traitor in history. He was an American general during the Revolutionary War. He attacked his own country and was disloyal. He defined who a traitor is; however, Louis Riel was not what Benedict Arnold was. When the Canadian government was trying to abate Metis rights, Riel voluntarily coped with anguish to protect them. He was a hero because he tolerated incomparable pain for a noble cause of preserving Metis rights that benefited the greater good of Canada. Louis Riel exemplified what a “hero” is. Louis Riel had many adversities and withstood many suffering to protect Metis rights. His suffering is what defined him as a hero. The first adversity that Louis Riel encountered was being discriminated for being …show more content…
Thomas Scott was hostile towards Metis people, and the guards were not able to suppress him. If even armed guards were not able to imprison Scott, then this proves that Scott is a mortal threat against the Metis. How can Riel expect to protect his people if there were someone who was this dangerous? Thus, Riel placed him under trial. Riel respected Scott’s rights of receiving a trial when charged for committing a crime, and the verdict was that he is guilty. Riel has shown that he can be merciful, especially in the Battle at Duck Lake when the rebels won. The rebels were chasing after the retreating forces; however, Riel convinced them to stop because he knew it was unnecessary. Riel most likely considered all alternatives to this situation before deciding to execute Scott. Riel’s reasons to execute Scott was also meant to benefit in the future despite the consequences being grim at that time. Riel executed Scott because he wants “’all the Canadians [to] learn that the Metis are men of their words’”. The Red River Rebellion started because of the Canadian government’s ignorance in the Metis. Riel needed to ensure that the Canadian government will acknowledge the Metis and think of them as the same people. This execution appears to be brutal, but “the needs of the many outweigh …show more content…
On the other hand, a hero is a person who accomplishes a task for a noble cause and usually make sacrifices to accomplish the task. Who was Louis Riel? Was he a hero or a traitor? Based on the definitions, Louis Riel is a hero. He made many sacrifices and suffered all sorts of pain to protect Metis rights which is a noble cause. His objective all along was to unite the Metis and the Canadian government and this is a positive purpose. His decision to execute Thomas Scott might’ve been controversial; however, this was crucial in protecting the Metis and showing the government that the Metis are people too. The fact is that Louis Riel is a hero because he brought Canada and its people
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