With soldiers it's different IMO because they sign up to protect the community in which they live, putting their lives on the line. I guess if they were conscripted then that doesn't work though
But you could say the same about police right? Anyway it's not different for soldiers so much as its different for everybody. Everybody takes the liberty of defining their own heroes based on what's important to them. That's normal. Policeman, soldier, firefighter, astronaut, EMT, doctor-without-borders dies in the line of duty... they get hero status. Its pretty much automatic. Gabby Giffords gets hero status (she didn't die, she was "only" maimed)... heck, I dare say the guy who dives head first into the endzone to score the game winning touchdown, but suffers a life ending impact in the process will be revered as a hero to many.
But focusing more on Tim's real question, I thought about whether I would consider a murdering, raping, molesting, thieving, domestic-abusing guy a hero, for running into the street to push my child out of the way of a speeding bus, only to be run over and killed himself in the process... yeah that guys a hero
to me... cause he just saved my son's life. All that other stuff he did is condemnation-worthy, but saving my son was still heroic. Are we gonna snatch the Congressional Medal of Honor off the guy who saved his whole Platoon's neck because he later beats his wife in a PTSD rage? All of us? I don't think so.
On a related note... I have made way too many big boo-boos in my life to go down the route of calling for the universal condemnation of other peoples heroes. My kids need to be able to look up to me, in spite of my shortcomings. So giving a guy hero status might make me frown
personally, but I still acknowledge that nobody's perfect, heroes included and on some level people need to have redemption/admiration available to them... even if its only in the eyes of
some people. It's one of the few things that keeps us from being complete pricks to everyone.
yikes
