By: Stephen Field

Stephen Field — Thu, 02 Jan 2014 19:36:00 +0000

Though you don’t give specific sources or examples of the labeling of the members of the military as heroes (I’ve never seen an recruiting ad for the military that promises hero status), I think the label is appropriate. First, your definition supports the label. In a time of war, a small fraction of American citizens have decided to join the military and serve in places where they could lose their lives. Just by volunteering, they have taken a step that the vast majority have decided not to. Second, the fact that you took the time to cite the military as an example of people undeservedly being called heroes, and going as far to label the profession as “armed combatants” suggests that you might have a bias, or at least a misunderstanding of the many jobs and functions of the military. Many servicemembers join to perform jobs outside of the combat arms, such as medics, logisticians, explosive ordinance disposal experts. I think if you wanted to make an argument that Edward Snowden should be labeled a hero (which I agree with) you could have done so without denigrating the military, whose members can benefit from the positive attention they are receiving. This leads me to my third point. I believe that the current status of the military in our society is a little more inflated than necessary. This could be due to the treatment of soldiers during the Vietnam era. But the end result is that veterans returning home are getting more positive attention that can be beneficial. Our society is finally learning how to help those will physical and psychological wounds after centuries of war, where veterans returned and had to bear their burden alone. Fourth, fighting in a war that you do not agree with does not diminish the service of men and women in the military. It is their job to fight when asked to by the government. The policy of what wars to fight can be discussed with your elected officials. You don’t have to label the war as just in order to recognize the heroism of those that fought in it. You can question the policy of wars, while supporting your troops. Write a letter to your congressman and demand answers. Thank you for your time and discourse.

Comments on: NSA leaker Snowden and the debatable definition of “heroism”

By: Stephen Field