shameless bump

So am I biased? You bet.

Yeah, but you're cute.

Yeah, I'd say he's a hero whether he served in the military or not (yes, I served). Anyone who puts themselves at risk to save someone else is a hero.

To me, calling some moron who plays a game for a living a hero is denigrating the word.

I watched the whole show, and I about cried the whole time. They interviewed the two police officers that he saved, one of whom can barely walk and who has undergone about 30 surgeries to correct all of his injuries. He would have been dead if Jason Thomas hadn't found him.

I wish you would have seen the part where Jason Thomas said he would die for this country because he loves it. How many people in the military can say that honestly? Probably not as large of a percentage as we'd like to think. This man had passion and conviction in his voice. He was weeping when the local marine company came to welcome him and his family into their new home, and when the first seargent shook his hand. The seargent was trying not to cry when Jason was talking with him about how many soldiers they've lost and they were "talking shop" about being Marines.

Yeah...I don't know...I'd consider this dude a hero.

Is a soldier who serves in the military during times of peace any less of a hero than one that serves during times of war? If you're not a soldier, or related to one, do you have absolutely NO chance EVER of being a hero? I don't think that's right either. I think lots of people are heros to others. I think you can be a hero if you're a soldier, a firefighter, a police officer, a teacher, a parent, a grandparent, a brother, or a sister, a survivor, a sinner, a saint, a football or a baseball player, etc., etc.

I'm never going to be a soldier, but maybe one day I can be a hero to someone, too. I might not save someone from the brink of death, but maybe I can provide a life-changing opportunity, or a chance for growth, or an overwhelming sense of love for someone that they never would have had otherwise. I think those things can make a hero, too.

I should first probably admit my own bias, eh? My dad is retired Army serving in the first Gulf War and my brother is a fire fighter.

Ok, with that out of the way...



I would think that you could claim that the same sacrifices are made by members of our police forces and fire departments. Soldiers have a specific tour of duty -- when they are stateside or we are at peace, the job is less dangerous (but please, do not think for a minute that I am trying to downplay their contribution).

For fire fighters and police officers there is no down-time. Sure they don't have to go away for a year, but they do go to work every day knowing that there is a potential for them to lose their life for the sake of someone else. So, in my mind, yes, they are heroes.

I'm the same way, LH. I think it's just because of how we live.

I agree with Shades that the military doesn't OWN sacrifice and heroism, but I tend to think more highly of service members. Not on purpose. I just can't seem to help it.

(Navy and Chair Force are generally low on my impressed scale, btw )

Yeah, it's not like they've saved thousands of soldiers lives through air assaults and air cover or anything.

Yes, I know, every job in every branch is important and they're all on the same team, etc, etc.

I was teasing (mostly).

I know you're former Navy and I don't think less of you because of it. (That is ALSO teasing.)

I think you have a point actually, lifehappens. Lemme 'splain. No, it would take too long. Lemme sum up.

See, many of us get the chance to do something heroic in our lifetimes. Most of those actions go unnoticed, but the truth is, most good and decent people have a few heroic ACTIONS to their credit. There's something different about heroism lived over a lifetime.

One of my personal heroes was a man by the name of Rick Rescorla. Rick died on 9/11 as the security chief of Morgan Stanley Deam Witter, and by all accounts, he saved the lives of some of his coworkers. But a whole lifetime earlier, he was a hero in the battle made famous by the movie "We Were Soldiers"...and in between, he proved himself a hero in the FIRST World Trade Center bombing. This man lived a LIFE of heroism, rather than just being given over to a few heroic acts. And many of our soldiers can claim the same dedication to heroism.

There are domestic heroes, to be sure. But there are few people outside the military who've had a chance to repeatedly PROVE their heroism.

Yup, I am former Navy and was heavily involved in ground ops and combat situations.

At the end, the guy said that he didn't consider himself a hero, that he was a Marine, and that it was his job to go in and save people. So, ABC may think he's a hero, but that's just part of his character.

First, prejudice is not necessarily bad.  Everyone has it.  We are prejudice against hot pots, so we use care and protection when handling them (simple example).  So no, to your title question.  A person without prejudice is not living.

But to your point of this case, I dont think you being prejudiced against certain types of people to be bad either.  We each have our heros, and a hero to some, may not be to others.  It is human nature.  But I agree with the consensus here.  In my mind, a hero is one who risks his life to save others.  Whether in combat, or fighting a fire.

I saw a few spouses of civilians killed in the world trade center.  They were complaining because the million or so they got in charity wasn't enough.  That really irked me.

How many military spouses were handed hundreds of thousands of dollars by the public when their husband's died?  I don't mean SGLI which they pay for...I mean straight up, HERE YA GO!

To me it was a slap in the face of every soldier who served, died, and his family suffered financially afterward.

I also thought it set a very dangerous precedent.  This is bound to happen again, and again.  Are we going to give millions to the spouses of civilians every time?  What about all the soldiers who died between 9/11 and the next time?  Too bad so sad?

So I guess that makes me bias too.  Yes a hero can take many forms, not necessarily just military, but I do tend to put the military at the front of the list.  And like Tex, I like some branches better than others.

I also thought it set a very dangerous precedent. This is bound to happen again, and again. Are we going to give millions to the spouses of civilians every time? What about all the soldiers who died between 9/11 and the next time? Too bad so sad?

I think the reason for the big money from the government to the survivors of 9/11 is because the government was protecting the airlines from going out of business. They were afraid if all the victims/survivors sued the airlines it would put them out. I agree though I saw some of the widows on O'Reilly and it seemed like they thought they should all have their homes paid off and never have another bill for the rest of their lives. Of course, it's a tragedy to lose your husband but I don't think it was anymore of a tragedy because they died in the 9/11 attacks than if they died in another way.

As far as being prejudiced, I think it's kind of just a human trait to feel like the people who are like you are all in the same club so to speak. You feel their losses and triumphs more than you do other people. It's funny when it becomes so clear at times. You see a news story about someone and make a judgement call about whether that person is good or bad, right or wrong but then you find out they're from your hometown, or went to your college, or served in your command and all of a sudden they are transformed into better people because of it.

I wish you would have seen the part where Jason Thomas said he would die for this country because he loves it. How many people in the military can say that honestly? Probably not as large of a percentage as we'd like to think. This man had passion and conviction in his voice. He was weeping when the local marine company came to welcome him and his family into their new home, and when the first seargent shook his hand. The seargent was trying not to cry when Jason was talking with him about how many soldiers they've lost and they were "talking shop" about being Marines.

When I saw that part, that's what changed my opinion of him. Sad but true.

I think lots of people are heros to others.

And this wasn't to denigrate anyone who is a hero. I just found it puzzling that he was praised as a hero (at least in the ads) for saving someone ON 9/11!! As though the date made him more of a hero.

I agree with Shades that the military doesn't OWN sacrifice and heroism, but I tend to think more highly of service members. Not on purpose. I just can't seem to help it.

EXACTLY!

One of my personal heroes was a man by the name of Rick Rescorla. Rick died on 9/11 as the security chief of Morgan Stanley Deam Witter, and by all accounts, he saved the lives of some of his coworkers. But a whole lifetime earlier, he was a hero in the battle made famous by the movie "We Were Soldiers"...and in between, he proved himself a hero in the FIRST World Trade Center bombing. This man lived a LIFE of heroism, rather than just being given over to a few heroic acts. And many of our soldiers can claim the same dedication to heroism.

and I bet he was remembered (by the media) more for his actions on 9/11 than any other heroism.

At the end, the guy said that he didn't consider himself a hero, that he was a Marine, and that it was his job to go in and save people. So, ABC may think he's a hero, but that's just part of his character.

That's part of being a hero. Getting a purple heart for a splinter and bragging about it....well, that tarnishes the heroic glow.

To me it was a slap in the face of every soldier who served, died

I had the same feelings and I still do. I think it is a very dangerous precedent to set.

And like Tex, I like some branches better than others.

At one point, when I was young and naive, the marines had an extra point because on top of being the best of the best.....they look so hot in their dress uniform..... (and no, drooling doesn't take away any of the greatness....but they do have very short PT shorts....)

It's funny when it becomes so clear at times. You see a news story about someone and make a judgement call about whether that person is good or bad, right or wrong but then you find out they're from your hometown, or went to your college, or served in your command and all of a sudden they are transformed into better people because of it.

I'm glad that other people understand and have the same reaction sometimes. It's human nature, but to see it so vividly, well, it says something about me. I may not change my internal biases, but at least I am aware of them and I can consciously make adjustments to them.