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Oscar Pistorius of South Africa celebrates with his gold medal following the men's 400m. Image Credit: EPA

Every so often, a person breaks free from the restrictive norms of society to set a new standard and benchmark. But what does a society do when such inspirational figures end up being not just flawed human beings but those accused of grave crimes?

The recent controversy surrounding Oscar Pistorius, and not too long ago Lance Armstrong, begs a question – are role models still relevant in today’s society? Does today’s society have true role models And, more importantly, does it need them? Join our debate on role models.

The following statements will be put up for debate:
• There are no more true heroes; role models don’t exist in the 21st century.
• All that matters now is success, value systems are redundant.
• Role models are necessary to convey that determination and hard work help you to break free from social strata.
• Society cannot do without role models, as they help in its development.