What makes someone a hero?
It seems like it's a simple question, but MSNBC host Chris Hayes caused a firestorm when he said on Memorial Day weekend that he was uncomfortable calling people heroes just because they served in the military.
"Why do I feel so uncomfortable about the word 'hero'? I feel uncomfortable about the word hero because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war," Hayes said Sunday on MSNBC. "I don’t want to obviously desecrate or disrespect the memory of anyone that’s fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism, you know, hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I’m wrong about that."
Hayes' remarks immediately sparked a backlash, with some saying it was inappropriate to say such things about those putting their lives on the line to fight for their country.
Hayes issued an apology Monday, saying he understood why people were angry that someone who had never served or dealt with the cost of wars would make such a statement. His apology reads:
"On Sunday, in discussing the uses of the word 'hero' to describe those members of the armed forces who have given their lives, I don't think I lived up to the standards of rigor, respect and empathy for those affected by the issues we discuss that I've set for myself. I am deeply sorry for that.
"As many have rightly pointed out, it's very easy for me, a TV host, to opine about the people who fight our wars, having never dodged a bullet or guarded a post or walked a mile in their boots. Of course, that is true of the overwhelming majority of our nation's citizens as a whole. One of the points made during Sunday's show was just how removed most Americans are from the wars we fight, how small a percentage of our population is asked to shoulder the entire burden and how easy it becomes to never read the names of those who are wounded and fight and die, to not ask questions about the direction of our strategy in Afghanistan, and to assuage our own collective guilt about this disconnect with a pro-forma ritual that we observe briefly before returning to our barbecues.
"But in seeking to discuss the civilian-military divide and the social distance between those who fight and those who don't, I ended up reinforcing it, conforming to a stereotype of a removed pundit whose views are not anchored in the very real and very wrenching experience of this long decade of war. And for that I am truly sorry."
Hayes' remarks beg the question: Who exactly is a hero? We'd like to hear from you. We'd like you to sound off in the comments below or hit the button below to send a video comment to iReport. Do you think Hayes was out of line in his comments? Do you understand what he was saying?
Must you have served in combat to be a hero? Does enlisting alone make you one? Should that word be reserved for the military? Or does it apply to people who put themselves above others?
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Sounds like he placed a lot of thought into that apology. And it appears to be genuine. Although he received backlash, his question had merit. The only problem was that the question was asked by the wrong person. That question, as sensitive as it was, should have come from a person who served. Even someone lacking a military background, but having a law enforcement background, could survive the criticism.
You understand you're on a comment thread, right? No one's paying attention to you.
There is no "I" in hero. I am a soldierwho has served in Afghanistan, I can tell you for a fact that I would of not made it back alive if it wasn't for the efforts and devoted work of the soldiers, DOD civilians and VA civilians that work day in and day out supporting the mission from the rear. There is more to a war, to defending your country then standing in harms way. We have a family that needs support at home while we are away, we need uniforms to keep us warm, we need wood shipped to build our furniture or tent platforms, we need ammunition to fight the war, we need education and training that is taught by those in the rear. All of these efforts help us get home alive and to our family members that endure our pains and worry every day for our safety, they too are heroes. So when a TV host tries to define what a hero is on memorial day it becomes obvious to me that some people do not see the totality of what the military is, of what we do, and of all the people that are involved to make us the greatest military in the world.
I'm shocked!
I was never is any uniformed services but I know that it takes guts to take on a uniform and serve knowing fully well that YOUR LIFE IS ON LINE! – WHY WOULD I NOT CALL THEM HEROES?
And message to Chris Hayes "Please understand the distinction – Its not the military which chooses to start or continue a war! Its the government (that is collective decision by all of us) who decides and they follow and put themselves in harms way without ever questioning our decision!"
Just because one is serving in a war zone does not make one a hero. We cheapen the word and concept every time we call everyone in Afghanistan or even Iraq a hero. They were trained to do what they do, and what they do is expected of them. If your definition of a hero was held to light, you would say that every American going to work is a hero. But the reality is that we have forgotten what a true hero is. A true hero is never trained to be a hero. A true hero exists in the selfless act of saving another in an extraordinary moment regardless of the consequences.
The FIRST comments by Chris Hayes were right on point. To call someone a hero just because they are serving in the military is non-sense. It is sad to see that he had to offer an apology (to keep his job you can bet) when he actually said nothing but the truth.
RMC is right on target. All soldiers are not heros just as all heros are not soldiers. Heros are those who act heroically. While most soldiers engaged in combat missions probably fit this description what about those exceptions that denigrate the corpses of the enemy, placing their fellow soldiers and their country at greater risk. Or how about those who target innocent men, women and children. Sure, they are the rare exception but lumping them in with real heros, just because they wear the uniform, does the true heros a grave injustice.
I think the biggest problem is the total over use of the word hero since 9/11. While many true heroes emerged that day and in the days following, their true heroism was diluted by calling every cop, firefighter and EMT, from Maine to California a hero as well. Obviously, many are, but is it fair to dilute their heroic acts by calling everyone else a hero too?
Heck, my city even has a "Healthy Heros" campaign to encourage good nutrition. Eat a carrot, be a hero. Ugh. As native speakers of one of the richest and most nuanced languages in the world you'd think we could do better than this. Sadly, it just ain't so.
Did you know that only 1/16 soldiers who served during World War II were in infantry units? And that 15/16's did primarily support jobs and were never really in harms way. Is a clerk typist a hero?
A Janitor what his job was at NASA, and the man replied, "I'm putting a man on the moon!" Surely you can recognize that this man's actions had a great impact on the global operation of putting a man on the moon. If you feel that 15/16ths of the military have nothing to do with combat, you're severely misinterpreting the mission of the military. Everything the military does is either making the soldier stronger, smarter, more agile, and once they have admirably discharged their duty, that they volunteered to do, they deserve to be made whole as much as possible from the physical, emotional, and psychological illness they develop. We have the world's best military because of these 15/16ths, they are a machine, and all parts are necessary support for the servicemen. Have you ever heard of the Army's advertisement, "An Army of ONE"? Come on people! Can't we feel that we can be part of something bigger than ourselves? This nation believed in a melting pot, in a symbiosis, that we as a whole are greater than the sum of our parts. Unfortunately the fires that have kept this a melting pot have been removed, or too many people have removed themselves from the mix, because I don't feel that we are one nation anymore. We are so fractured into our special interest groups that we aren't "Americans" anymore. For this nation to continue being the best in the world, we have to look beyond ourselves and do as Kennedy suggested, "Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." Be a part of something bigger than yourself, recognize that all aspects of the military are essential, and without the 15/16ths and their dedication to honorably discharging their duty, this country wouldn't be what it is today.
Defining hero as any soldier or anyone to put on the miltaty uniform, Benedict Arnold was a hero..
Hey Chris, spend just 5 minutes with a man or woman who can say, "For twelve months, I was ready to shoot or be shot. I was ready to accept that I may have hugged my loved ones for the last time. I was ready to die to save someone else. I did so without a TV show. I did so without six figures in my salary. I did so for something I believe in." They say to their face, "I don't believe you are a hero. You are just...ordinary."
Mance: Yes, but YOU SIGNED-UP for it! Why would you join the military when we are involved in that fiasco we call Afghanistan? You knew what you were getting into and it is your job. You are not, by default, a hero simply for being there.
Bad timing for a comment by a guy who is looking for a little attention and got more than he bargained for.
On Memorial day you don't criticize the military. I don't care whatever beef you have with them. On Memorial day you say NOTHING but supportive comments. You call them heros. You thank them for their service. Heaven knows that the liberal freaks picket them when they come home from service. Not everyone can live in a fantasy worl like those on the left... MSNBC is the lefts poor try at competing with FOX News – fail.
I currently serve in the military, USMC, and am currently deployed to Afghanistan. I agree with Chris. I think the term "here" is referred to loosely. I have lost many friends, whom I call brothers and sisters, to this war and don't feel that they should be considered "heros". I feel those that go above and beyond the call of duty, putting your life at more risk than normal to save someone else or others – no matter status – warrants the name "hero". Sure, it's an HONORABLY thing to do to reenlist and go to war (which you have no choice in when given orders you HAVE to go) and it's a LOYAL thing to do for your Country, that doesn't make you a hero. You can enlist and be honorable and loyal and still be a coward in the line of enemy fire – and if you get killed b/c of that "frozen" state – should you still be considered a "hero"? No. I don't think so.
And I don't feel that it should just be used for military either. There are so many civilians, police officer, firemen, etc. out there that put their life on the line above and beyond for other people. They are also "heros".
I agree with Hayes. Just because you don the uniform doesnt make you a hero. Seal team 6? Heroes. The dude stationed stateside who does inventory on food? Not a hero.
I completely understood where Chris Hayes was coming from on this and clearly, by the comments here, others did also. His apology is a wonderful example of the depth of character the man continually displays.
Those in the military are patriots who defend the rights of morons like Chris Hayes to execise free speech. Those who have shed their blood and ultimately died defending those freedoms are indeed heroes.
nobama: What is sad is that people like you think that any of the "wars" we have been involved in during the past decade have anything to do with defending my rights!
An act of survival wherein you are acting to save yourself from harm is not a heroic act. Saving another is a heroic act. Doing your job and doing what you were trained to do is not a heroic act. Going above and beyond the call of duty to save another without regard to your own safety is heroic. Merely surviving to fight another day is not an act of heroism. A 14 year old kid who pulls an unconscious man out of a burning car with fuel spiiled everywhere, and administering CPR and saving that mans life.....that is heroism. We cheapen the concept of heroism daily by limiting the concept of heroism to those that only serve in the military.
I ama retired Navy disabled veteran, and I get the point Chris was hoping to make: that serving in the military is honorable and worthy of national tribute, but there are other heros too. Anybody can be a hero. A voter who speaks his or her mind defending the middle-class is a hero. A boy or girl scout helping the elderly cross rthe street are heros. Taking money from teachers, firemen, policemen and nurses and giving tax breaks to the wealthy does not make you a hero. That makes you a Republican and a traitor to the American people. This is the point Hayes was making – that there are heros all around us: Sunday school teachers; soup kitchen volunteers; a child rescuing a cat stuck in a tree; there are Good Samaritans everywhere around us and that's what the GOP hates. Yes, serving in the military is the highest calling with the least pay, but servicemen and women do not do that for recognition – we do it because we've answered the call of duty and for our families. Let's honor those who sacrificed it all and also honor Americans who are fighting corporate takeovers of democracy.
I am a veteran, a retiree from the USAF, and I can say not everyone who serves in the military is a hero. And even tho the vast majority voluntarily serve with honorable intentions, not everyone is honorable. And while I support our military I no longer can support the use it's currently being put to. But if calling a soldier, killed while serving the stated interests of our governmnent, a hero makes it easier for the surviving family to accept their loss. I will salute their memory and keep my other opinons to myself.