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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Actions determine a hero, not an occupation.
I served 20 years in the Marine Corps, and my wife served just under 8 years in the Corps. We both deployed for Desert Storm and Desert Shield. Do any of these facts make my wife and worthy of the term "Hero"? Absolutely not! It was our occupation in which we were paid for our services. It is my belief that a Hero does something extraordinary and getting paid...like a mercenary...is not a hero.
Agree 100%. Politically correct reactions always focus on feelings i.e. how the words make people feel; never on whether there is anything truthful about the words. Why are people so afraid of honesty, differing opinions and legitimate dialogue?
I don't think the term "hero" means anything anymore – considering that we call people who survive any tragic situation a "hero."
Seriously, this angers you? Military is not comprised of heroes. It's comprised of people who are being paid to do a job they signed up for. If you are going to call all of them heroes, then so are police, fire fighters, teachers and the like. There is no difference. Trust me i am sitting in Afghanistan right now getting ready to play xbox. War is not hell. Its just annoying.
"war is not hell, it's just annoying.". I presume you will be willing to say that to the thousands of gold star families and wounded warriors? That what happened to them of their loved one was "just annoying"?
It's absolutely true. Not everyone in the military is a hero. Especially not those guys that think it's okay to disrespect dead bodies (even if they are the enemy, everyone is still a human being).
I see Hayes' point and I somewhat agree. When one sees a commercial to join the army, navy, marines, or air force they always make it seem like some wild adventure. "You could be a star, the hero. Just sign up." But I have to close with a rant. Isn't the reason why cnn shows commercials before every video is to make money? So why do they have to show these disgusting anti-smoking commercials? They just make me want to stop the video
You are missing the point here. I have a desk-job in the military and I don't consider myself a hero.
It's nice to see conservatives all finally admit that John Kerry is a hero. Just kidding... they'll still come up with an excuse to hate him.
Say this for Chris Hayes - when he apologized, he meant it. No "I'm sorry that people were offended," no "it was not my intent," none of that. "I screwed up. Here's why I was wrong. I'm at fault. I apologize."
Lefties and righties - take note of that.
Lou AZ's reference to the Grand Canyon is apt.
There are degrees of bravery, and all bravery is good. A young high-school graduate who can acquire no job other than volunteering for the armed forces to further his education and career thereby accomplishes something somewhat heroic, because he might be killed if he is ordered to fight. A coward would not do anything.
When a soldier, to save his comrades, rushes with with a grenade into an open field where he will almost certainly die, that amount of heroism makes ordinary humans say the same thing they would upon first actually seeing the Grand Canyon, "I didn't have any idea that it was THAT big."
Right on!
Perhaps Chris Hayes feels guilty about not having served. Here he sounds stupid, failing to understand that a strong military composed of individuals works to prevent conflicts & keep the rest of us safe. Those who volunteer help keep us safe in an increasingly hostile, dangerous world are ONLY heroic. What has Chris Hayes ever done short of running his mouth which might be deemed heroic? Anybody?
he also doesnt claim to be a hero so your last comment was a bit pointless.
but he is right to ask the question about whether someone is a hero just for joining.
a true volunteer doesn't expect to get a monthly paycheck. a job in the military does not make someone a hero. want a true defense? then do what the Swiss do, and make everyone over the between the ages of 18 and 65 a member of the armed services, and require annual training, and require him/her to maintain his/her automatic weapon at his/her own home.
Luke, it's not the 19th century anymore... the military is on a "volunteer basis"?!? I'm pretty sure I'm paying a good chunk of my tax money goes to pay the wages and future pensions for those people "volunteering" to go into the military. By extension, am I a hero also...??
IF a person rushes into a burning building to save a life, he is a hero, even if the fire was started by an arsonist. Heroic, selfless acts, do not require agreement with the cause. We honor ALL soldiers for their service to our country, but not all soldiers are heroic, and not all wars are justified.
And Firemen are not ALL HEROES because they are firemen,cops,etc.
Very well put, no more to be said. Thank you Montclair Mom
First of all thank you MoM. Second I have to kinda agree with you.Im a ex solider who was in the first Gulf War and am now a retired firefighter. I can really relate to seeing a few other firefighters that refused to go in a burning apt fire ,later when I came out after the fire was out some people were thanking that person, the coward never went in. Yet to an outsider he was seen as a hero.
agree with him. many in the military are charlatans and thieves, especially military contract managers. no heroes there. elementary school teachers with oversized classes are heroes just as much if not more, than someone who just serves in the military.
Last time I checked, teachers do not leave their families for months or years at a time. Not to diminish a teacher's work but cannot be compared to the sacrifice these men and women (mostly very young) are making for their country. They are all heroes in my mind.
Thanks.. I responded to a 2 alarm structure fire this morning (I'm a volunteer FF). We were at there for about 5 hours. I then went home, showered and now at my job. Didn't save any lives but we did save others livelyhoods. We got the fire out and vented the smoke preventing a large amount of damage to other stores within the structure.
This is just a discussion about the definition of a word: hero. Is every soldier a hero? Is every American solider a hero? Is every American soldier killed in action a hero? Is an American soldier who performs above and beyond the call of duty a hero?
Emotions can run high on the topic, as does the politicizing, but it's reasonable enough to consider the implications of a word and its meaning in context. The fact that people are getting so bent out of shape over such a discussion proves two things:
1) We don't actually value free speech as much as we say we do
2) We're incapable of thinking about important issues with detachment
Both are failures to live up to our noblest national ideals, which is a disservice to those who place themselves in harms' way to defend them.
– mm
I suppose we all have our own idea or opinion on what makes a hero. An individual that is granted the freedom by the Soldier whose service he minimizes is certainly not one. I think Mr. Hayes needs to "pick up a weapon and stand a-post".
"Freedom is the sure possession of those with the courage to defend it."
and he doesnt claim to be a hero but that doesnt stop him from being able to ask the question.
He is an idiot who has never known what these brave soldiers go thru as the risk to protect their country which BTW includes HIM. He needs to be fired !
does every soldier consider himself or herself a hero?
you have plenty on here that have served that agree with him J.