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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A hero is someone who tells the truth, no matter what the consequences to him/herself.
People throw the word hero around alot nowadays.
Most people in the military do not 'put their lives on the line'. So it follows that most in the military are not heroes per se. They are govenment employees. My daughter served in the Peace Corp in Peru. Was she a hero? She served our country. She was genuine peace maker. A hero? No more than a military man or woman serving on a base somewhere far from harms way. Those that throw 'hero' around denigrate those who LITERALLY put their lives in harms way. It is past time this was said.
It's about time someone speaks their mind. I agree with him 100%. I just wish he hadn't apologized.
True. There was no malice in what he said. How can this country remain great when people can't question anything without threats ill feelings. One of the greatest things that can ever be practiced is to try to take nothing personally, or at the very least realize that this is not a personal attack on anyone. It was a fair and honest rhetorical question, and apologizing for it does a disservice to critical thinking.
You know there are people who would say the ones fighting for us are not hero's they are just doing there job....Those people are called Marines, Soldiers, Seamen and Airmen...If you wanna know first hand like I did then enlist...or stay on your blogs and give your opinion on what you "think" you know....
I think the term "Hero" gets overused. I always defined a "hero" as someone who goes way above and beyond what is normally expected of them in their line of work and at times disregards their own safety to help someone in need. I've been an EMT for 30 years and have seem people get special recognition for doing things that I consider a normal part of our job. I don't think that everyone who has ever served in the military is a hero, they all deserve our greatest respect. We can best honor them by making sure that our veterans get the best care and opportunities possible when they return.
I take care of my kids. I'm a hero. Praise me!
I understand enough about heroism to say, Chris Hayes is not a hero.
and he doesnt claim to be.
He is right on. Being a cop or a soldier does not automatically make a person a hero. Even those who die do not deserve to be called heros unless they did something heroic. Just dying for you country does not make you a hero. Only if you died doing something heroic.Many soldiers die in stoopid accidents by their own hands, this does not make them a hero. If you are on base asleep in a tent and a morter shell kills you, how were you a hero? If you drive into a ditch and drown are you a hero? By that logic everyone who dies is a hero.
I was watching Up with Chris Hayes when he made his remarks and as a veteran have no issue with his feelings. As a retired airman with more than 25 years on active duty I am also uncomfortable with the frequent use of the term hero. Everyone who dies in service to their country is not a hero. Those who sacrificed themselves to protect their fellow warriors or others are heroes. We actually diminish the meaning of the word hero when we over use it by attaching it to every soul lost in combat or in non-combatant service. Those of us who chose to enlist or accept a commision made a conscious decision to make sacrifices that most others cannot and will not understand. We sign up for a myriad of reasons, some noble some mundane. Those who engage in battle also make decisions, some noble some mundane. Those of us fortunate enough not to have to make the noble decisions to sacrifice life and limb should simply honor the choices of our warrior/citizens as the noble choices of the finest 1% that the greatest nation on earth has to offer. Most heroes do not return home to see the parades and hear the accolades. For those who survive to return home please simply offer a "thank you for your service" and maybe a job opportunity when they leave the military.
Extremely well said. If more voices like yours could rise above the shrill and mean din that masquerades as political discourse in the USA today, this country could perhaps move forward instead of being permanently stuck in neutral.
Thank you.
Thank you for your carefully articulated comment. I believe a substantial part of the problem is that with the all-volunteer force and the extremely heavy burdens carried by our active duty troops in recent years, a lot of Americans experience unconscious guilt because they have not served. In response they seek ways to laud our combat troops. This is an understandable response. What is unacceptable is the chicken hawk jingoism that thinks any war is great as long as I don't have to fight in it. Our combat troops are not an NFL team we root for. They are our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, husbands and wives who sacrifice for the rest of us. The example of those who gave their lives, limbs and spirits should inspire us as Abraham Lincoln eloquently spoke, " to increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measue of devotion." The cause is the promotion of all that is fine and noble in our national legacy.
I am a veteran and I agree. The word "hero" is loses meaning when used to broadly and too losely. Let's stick with the military topic shall we, because others on the blog are widing the scope a bit. The act of joining the military ranks does not make a national hero in my opinion. People join the military for many reasons and many are mundane and selfish. I @ssume very few can state, in an intellectually honest way, that they joined the miliatary ONLY to serve their great country in war. I respect and support all who join the military; however, I limit my personal designation of who and/or what deserves the label of "national hero" or 'heroic act'.
How many leftist MSNBC hosts does that make who have had to apologize for statements they've made? I've lost count.
And, how many right wing nut jobs have to apologize for THEIR actions and words? I have lost count. Want me to name them? My list, I'll be willing to bet, is longer than yours.
I doubt it's as many as the number of "rightists" on Fox that should apologize, but don't.
This coming from a person that is in a cushy job on TV who has done nothing more dangerous than taking a shower. Go embed with the troops and hopefully they will save your sorry bottom.
another one that totally missed the point of what he was trying to say.
Stupid question because there is no definitive answer. All subjective. A friggin' dog who saves a drowning child, a baseball player who makes a game saving catch, a soldier who falls on a live grenade, the father who rescues his daughter's cat from a tree..etc They are all heroes to someone!
they might be heroes to someone but not heroes to everyone.
Being a combat veteran and submariner, I in no form or fashion consider myself a hero. I consider it a slight to those who are deserving that honor. I have done nothing heroic. Have I done things the average person or even Service Member would be willing to do? Maybe. But it doesn't make me heroic. We use the word too lightly and he is correct to have his reservations.
This is a thought-provoking topic; one that deserves something other than ideological knee-jerk reactions. I think Chris' original comments, as well as his subsequent apology, were thoughtful and nuanced. I have to agree that "hero" is an overused label.
If I meet a veteran of any war, I DO say to them "thank you for your service." I think we can honor and respect their commitment and contribution without labeling them a "Hero". I have two brothers who served in the military. One sat at a desk and analyzed intelligence for 4 years. That does not make him a hero. The other dropped bombs on Viet Nam from 40,000 feet, then flew back to his base in Thailand to drink beer and grill steaks. I don't think that rises to the level of heroism, either. My son is a firefighter, and I am incredibly proud of the work he does. Maybe some day he will engage in an act worthy of being called Heroism, but that hasn't happened yet. While there are many in the military and public safety sector or are real heroes, it is not the simple act of putting on a uniform that makes them so.
And on the other hand, there are countless "civilians" like teachers, clergy, Red Cross volunteers, charity workers, and the amazing people that Anderson Cooper honors every year... who really are Heroes.
I agree with Chris...let's be careful with our labels, lest they lose their meaning.
The heroes are the ones who don't come back.