Poll: Do soldiers deserves the title of hero?

[Random Argument Man]

I don't know if you guys have facebook. There's a group called "Soldiers are not heroes". You can check the "wall" out, but you'll likely hurt your head with all the comments from the haters and the people from that group.

Here's the link to the group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=110744530692


Ignoring the title of the group and the "wall" and the photos putted by flamers. I would like you to pay attention to the information part. I'm so kind to put it in a spoiler for you.

Spoiler

This group is intended to point out the absurdity of the many groups on Facebook that portray all soldiers to be heroes and shower the armed forces with unconditional praise. We believe that this is unsafe to instil in vulnerable people that anyone in a uniform is to be trusted.

Putting on a soldiers uniform does not make you a hero.

Supporters of the group generally agree that wars that our armed forces participate in at the present time and in recent years are unnecessary and unjust. Therefore we don't feel that we should be pressured into offering "support" to people fighting and killing innocent people for causes that we don't believe in.

We recognise that the government are mainly to blame but also think that members of the forces need to take responsibility for their own actions in choosing to support these causes. Soldiers have free will and the opportunity to not sign/re-sign up if they feel they are being asked to participate in an unjust war, so they also deserve a proportion of the blame if they choose to stay.

We also find it amusing how so many of those who claim to "protect our freedoms of speech" tell us to shut up, or be duffed up.

Soldiers are not heroes. They can be heroes, they can act heroically, they can do heroic things - but the act of putting on a uniform and agreeing to put your conscience in a lockbox for the next so many years does not make your life more important than others, it does not make your opinions and insights more worthy of respect than others, it does not exempt you from moral judgement. It does not make you a hero.

Their main points are "putting a soldier's uniform does not make you a hero" and "The people sees them as heroes while a lot of them kills".


There's also a petition to remove that group and it's going strong. About 930 000 and growing.

Here's the link http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=Petition+to+remove+Soldiers+are+not+heroes&init=quick#/group.php?gid=159663746899&ref=search&sid=725950812.621604691..1

Ok, I'll admit i'm not an army fan. I would probably agree with the former group if they were a little bit mature. If you guys want to join either sides, go ahead. I won't stop you.

However, the petition group often says "They defend your freedom. You should be greatful to them". Other arguments are "They fought and preserves somekind of peace at some points.", "They make sure you don't get invaded" and so on. I could poke the logics in many aspects, but I don't want a debate on my ideals. I could copy the information part, but there's not much to go with. (It's a bit sad. I wanted 50/50 on informations).

I bring the topic to you guys for judging. Does having the status of soldier makes you a "hero"?

Note*Please refrain from "they should all go to hell for thinking this" comments. Make an intelligent remark if you disagree with one side.

EDIT: 2nd Note* I don't need reminders to tell me that I suck with english grammar.

 

[Kortney]

I'm from a military family so I know lots of people who are in the army or who have served in the army and not one of them likes or wants to be called a hero.

 

[Lavi]

I agree that "putting on a soldier's uniform does not make you a hero", but anyone can become a hero in any circumstance. Basically the same as not every soldier gets a medal just for signing up. I am also against murder morally, but come on, REAL WORLD. War happens. We should be against mass slaughter rather than war because at least in war, both sides are fighting for something they believe in.

I do hate the defending statement of "they defend your freedom". No, they aren't. They are defending other people's freedom, which is of equal importance to my own. I assume its always worded like that because people fail to put themselves in someone else's shoes.

 

[orangebandguy]

People like that really puzzle me, they assume they know everything. It's not like they were there. It's a bunch of people on Facebook.

Not every soldier is hero by default but that doesn't mean they can't become one. They still have to brave war, and face death.

Those people haven't fought, they know nothing about it. They really should stay out of things that don't concern them. They shouldn't be attacking the soldiers personally, but instead blame the governments who make them fight in the conflicts of their own interest.

 

[OmegaXIII]

Yes, with a limit. They are heroic in the sense that they are willing to put their lives on the line in order to protect others. That does not however mean that they cannot bring disgrace to themselves and they are certainly not shining paragons of humanity.

My main bug bear is when people berate soldiers because of the wars, stating that they are oppressing people etc etc etc. Soldiers are part of the machine yes, but they do not pick the fights themselves - the people who deem it necessary to draw these conclusions of soldiers need to redirect their venom to the politicians who wage the wars. I have a lot of admiration for soldiers who are willing to fight for their country, even sometimes when they don't agree with the conflict.

 

[Wadders]

I dont know about calling them heroes. That is a title that needs to be earned. This man is a hero:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brunt

However, I do have immense respect for every man and woman in the services, and wish them all a safe return from wherever they are.

 

[Sassafrass]

They deserve it more then the sportsmen, that's for damn sure.
And I wouldn't call them heroes myself. Just very brave.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Not all soldiers are heroes. That much is true. But for people like Audie Murphy, I think they earned the title of hero. And it is a bit ridiculous for the former group to say "if you don't support the war, you have a choice to not sign up." True, but most people who sign up are sent over by orders, not by their own wishes. They could be serving on an army base, and the government just decides they would better serve them over there. What do they do in that situation? Desert the army? Let their enlistment run out so they get sent back and need to find a job, when they may not have the skills to do so?

 

[Ham_authority95]

Hmmm

If you want to call a soldier a hero, then its really up to you.


Although for me, if they didn't actually do anything heroic, then they shouldn't be hero's just because they are in the military

 

[DuplicateValue]

Not unless they do something heroic, I guess. You're not a hero for standing around looking menacing with your gun.

 

[BlumiereBleck]

yes they are heroes as long as they're arent commis

 

[Pimppeter2]

Yes. Yes they do.

 

[Grand_Pamplemousse]

Since when did government sanctioned murder turn you into a hero?

 

[Ham_authority95]

They deserve it more then the sportsmen, that's for damn sure.

/agreed

 

[Firenz]

Is it possible that we are refering to the members of the armed forces as heroes in order to put aside personal issues on how just the current wars are and to concentrate on and highlight the fact that they are doing extraordinary things a long way away in a very difficult situation?

 

[Jedoro]

Chairborne Rangers are not heroes. Men who get hit by an RPG while riding in a Humvee are not heroes.

Hero is a title you have to earn. While quite a few soldiers earn the right to be called a hero, being a soldier doesn't automatically make you a hero.

As for those who want to remove that group, it's a little something called Freedom of Speech. It's in that Constitution that those soldiers swear to. While it may be an unpopular opinion, people are allowed to say it.

 

[Zacharine]

Not all soldiers are heroes, not all heroes are soldiers. There are so many different kinds of soldiers; there are those who really fight in a righteous war, and those who do not. There are those who fight in an honorable and courageous way and those who do not. There are those who respect the limits we have placed upon ourselves (such as Geneva Conventions) to reduce needless suffering and those who do not care.

There are those who deal with civilians in a proper manner and those who pillage and rape.

There are those who do heroic deeds to save civilians and fellow soldiers in a pinch. And then there are those who would commit atrocities on various scales.

The only answer to this question is: depends on the soldier. Depends on the circumstances. Because we humans can't very well be judged according to a single label that can denote both a voluntary profession as well as forced circumstances.

EDIT: it also depends on how we define 'hero'. Is a hero someone who shows great courage, or someone who is admired for his/her achievements and/or noble qualities? Or is a hero simply an illustrious warrior? Because these are all definitions that can be applied. And that can significantly change the answer to the question posed in the OP.

As a whole, I find myself agreeing with much of the group's sayings. Indeed, simply putting on a uniform does not make anyone a hero. But this group quietly seems to indicate that all soldiers are therefore villans to a degree. And this I do not agree with. It is just as unfounded an opinion as the one they try to rally people against.

One cannot generalize such a large group as 'soldiers' this much. It would need to be dealt preferably on an individual basis, squad or company level at most and if overgeneralizations are demanded at gunpoint, the army group level.

 

[ZombieVictor]

> Poll: Does soldiers deserves the title of hero?

I don't really have an answer to this poorly worded question. It was the spelling errors that drew my attention to it.