Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Heroes

Let me get this straight: They reported a smoking car to a cop and for that we cheapen the term "hero"? That rates calls from the president and an impassioned paean to not forget being inclusive of Muslims from CNN? [Read]

Does anybody know anybody who would not do the same--and not feel like it was any big deal? Did I miss the part where one of the heroes ripped open the car door, dragged someone out of the flames at the risk of their own life, and then tossed the bomb into the harbor (being mindful not to endanger the nuns and ducks)?

I guess for a culture that plants Teddy Kennedy at Arlington, this is about the level of heroics we can expect. Besides, if we want to see real heroes, there's always TV and the movies...no?

[Via Skip]

2 comments:

Ken Hagler said...

TV sounds about right. People have been calling professional athletes "heroes" for as long as I can remember. Reporting a smoking car isn't heroic, but at least it's worthwhile, so it's actually an improvement over what usually gets called heroism.

jselvy said...

I'm afraid I would not report anything to the police. I have no wish to be detained or accused of the act. It is SOP to suspect the person who reports and make their life a hell if no other suspects are easily found.