I Don't Think It's Controversial To Want Peace, But Maybe That's Just Me by Gabriela

I Don't Think It's Controversial To Want Peace, But Maybe That's Just Me by Gabriela - December 2021 Scholarship Essay

In order to answer this prompt fully, I must use one of my favorite leaders as an example.
Clarke Griffin is the main protagonist of the CW show, “The 100.” After hearing CW, you might throw this entry into the NO pile and pay it no mind. However, I will not be discussing the nature of the show or its disregard for science (you really expect me to believe that these people lost all knowledge of technology in just 97 years??). I will not even be discussing its politics. All that I will be discussing is Clarke Griffin, the “leader” among her people.
Clarke somehow managed to gain the trust and confidence of a large group of teenagers who had been found guilty of crimes. Clarke was in this position herself, and yet she rose above what was expected of her and took charge. Skip forward a couple of seasons, and Clarke is now the single most important person of the “Skaikru” (the people that she identifies with). She has even taken charge of the adults, who are surprisingly incompetent for “politicians.” And now I will be getting into the scene that, for me, solidified her as an amazing leader.
Clarke’s mother, Abby, is… a character. Surely not my favorite, and probably not Clarke’s either. But she is her mother regardless, and Clarke would never wish to hurt her. So, it was a true sign of leadership when she almost let her mother die for the greater good. And I’m not just talking about poison here; Abby was getting hanged in front of Clarke and still, she would not budge. Of course, more heroes burst into the room and saved the world at the last minute, as is typical in fiction. But this scene stuck with me.
Too often, superheroes are seen as the “ultimate” heroes. They are oh so righteous that they use their special abilities to fight crime instead of committing a large genocide. However, they really do aggravate me.
They are incompetent! Every single time they must make a sacrifice, they will risk the lives of millions because “no one is dying here.” Oh, boohoo. Your friend, a single individual who is completely willing to sacrifice themselves for the lives of innocent people, just cannot die, can they? In typical Hollywood fashion, things always work out. Everyone lives happily ever after (except for those with family-owned businesses that get trashed, but we don’t talk about that). Why is Clarke Griffin, a random teenager from a CW show, more willing to sacrifice her loved ones for the entirety of humanity?
So the willingness to make sacrifices, that is the true quality of a leader. One who is willing to put innocent lives over their own happiness, friends, and family. Because, if one is not willing to sacrifice for those that trust them, then they do not deserve that trust.