At least you recognize your bias for what it is.

I'll nominate your family for the show. You guys deserve it.

Plus, you love home renovations, it's right up your alley.

~cocks eyebrow at the neon-illuminated chip on LH's shoulder, the one that bears the sign: 'Knock me off, already! Do you dare?' and decides that yes indeed, she will take the dare.~

This is why i love you.

You certainly don't have to be a member of the armed forces to be a hero. In fact, being a member of the armed forces doesn't guarantee that status, even if you see combat. Lots of soldiers aren't heros in any sense of the word.

Agreed. My brother is a prime example of a loser....and he was military.

For every soldier that sees combat, there are probably a thousand or more that never get their boots dirty. That's not to say that these folks wouldn't act heroically if given a chance, but no, they don't automatically get a hero tag in my book just for signing up,

Also agreed.

There's another big difference between your 'everday' hero and those who engage in this sort of thing for a living.

admittedly so. The man who saved a guy from being crusthed by the subway was a hero. EH acted above an beyond the call of duty and was willing to sacrifice himself to save another. But a soldier that throws himself on a landmine to save his buddy or risks his life to put down suppressive fire or the fireman who enters a burning building or the cop who goes into danger.....they are all heros. Their paycheck doesn't diminsh the value of their life and thier heroism.

BUT going above and beyond the call of duty on one day does not make you more of a hero. it's not the individual that I had the lesser image of, but the media portrayal of them. I hate the fact that people who acted heroiclyon ONE PARTICULAR DAY are automatically considered patriots and heros. why is the date so important? Now I will admit that I was in error. I assumed that this was just some guy who did something great on (hushed voice) 9/11. LOTS of people did great things that day and i didn't see why they had to make such a big deal about this particular guy. I assumed (wrongly) that his one claim was te date he saved these guys. After seeing the last few minutes and getting clued in by a few people here. I realize that he was really a hero. Not because of the day he saved someone, but because he was a hero. He had proven his character time and again, through service, sacrifice etc for more that one day, but for his whole life. HE was a hero.

But I admit, my initial evaluation of him was really affected my seeing that he was a Marine. It does not mean he (or others like him) are better than Joe Shmo who saves someone on the spur of the morning. The uniform does NOT automatically grant hero status.

So here I am agreeing with you. *BUT* I still have an internal bias....for those who serve.....and against those who milk the date for extra "hero" points.

*BUT* I still have an internal bias....for those who serve.....and against those who milk the date for extra "hero" points.

I know HE didn't milk it. The media frenzy was self induced.

You should LH, it's a great movie!



I like that you see your bias ways, you identified with it and you owned it. You are who you are true and true and that's what makes you a good person!


I saw the beginning of the show, then only watch parts of it. I think he did a good thing, because he didn't have to do what he did at all.

Thinking about how we view heroes and the criteria we use to define them reminds me of a good movie I saw years ago. It was called 'Hero' (what else?) and it starred Dustin Hoffman. Ever see it? It's worth a look.

VERY good movie. i'll have to watch it again. i admit, I am a sucker for any good hero story, whether it be Heroes (tv show), Hero (movie) Unbreakable, one of the "comic book superhero" moives, or just one about someone conquering seemingly insurmountable odds.

I like that you see your bias ways, you identified with it and you owned it. You are who you are true and true and that's what makes you a good person!

And that is the idea. What other unintentional or unrecognized biases so we have that shape our opinions?

It seems that the media will assign the title of "Hero" to whomever they determine a hero to be...and we follow along without giving it too much thought. The consensus of this thread seems to "get it" that hero is a title that needs to be earned. It is NOT specifically a military title although I understand why the former and the wives of would feel that way. In our little community around the Swirling Epicenter the local newsies bestow the title to every GI who comes home in a CBA. Not to diminish any loss, but come on...is every passenger in an exploded HUMMER a hero? Do you get the title by proximity? "I am there, therefore...". Is it actions or presence that earns the title? And for Little Whip...it is even worse than you imagine...even in a combat zone the ratio of support troops to warriors is in the neighborhood of 40 to 1. (I know...in this conflict anyone is fair game, even and especially the remfs).

What really galls me about the subject is the fact that the people who ARE heroes and have earned the title through their actions are not being recognized. Except for Purple Hearts, who has heard any coverage of awards for heroism in the face of the enemy from Iraq?

I should back off and consider this some more. I automatically drift back to the military perspective. Good job, LH.

I should back off and consider this some more

so are you going to post that joe?

I probably will...l am chewing on a tough one right now...I want to tell some of my Dad's legends...he WAS a real hero by any definition of the word. I am working on using that medium to reapproach this article's subject with a calmer mind.

It's not just Iraq; many deserving soldiers through history never received the medals they're due.

In the past I have chronicled my grandfather, who was born in 1900 and lied about his age to get into WWI. He was wounded and left for dead in the Second Battle of the Marne, and yet all the family seems to have are campaign ribbons, not the ton of medals one would normally assume that a veteran of the "war to end all wars". I've never understood why, but I've often wondered if it didn't have something to do with the fact that the Second Battle of the Marne was a tactical embarrassment for us.