Poll: Do soldiers deserves the title of hero?

[Searlero]

Soldiers, sailors and airmen shouldn't be given the title of heroes automatically, though they can earn it by their actions. But they should be respected for what they do.

People that join the army because they want to are idiotic, in my opinion.

People join the armed forces for a variety reason, most are not for killing other people. Yes, there are some people who try to join up to kill people, but they tend to get weeded out of the recruitment process (in the UK anyway)

 

[mrhappyface]

Yes, and so do firemen, police officers, and doctors.

 

[maninahat]

I think soldiers deserve respect, regardless of what I think about war, because they do have a hard and potentially dangerous job. I put them in a similar category to deep sea welders and trawlermen for the same reason. What I dislike is when some soldiers appear to demand respect. It seems more of an issue in the States then in the UK, as whilst I was visiting Washington, I kept seeing cars with "Vietnam Veteran" bumper stickers and such. To me, that comes across as very arrogant - almost shoving their actions in people's faces. The sticker is essentially saying "make sure you damn well treat me with reverance, despite you knowing nothing about me". It is almost like a "Baby on Board" sticker, which implies "drive extra carefully around my car - that's right stranger, I am going to make presumptions about your driving skills".

As for whether a soldier is a hero? They can be I guess. When they go above and beyond the call of duty - often when they actually do something "heroic" rather than something that is just "dangerous". The same applies to any situation outside of conflict as well as in it.

 

[Raven's Nest]

I was a soldier a few years ago...

I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything heroic. Would you still call me a hero?

 

[matnatz]

Well, it really depends on the soldier.

 

[ninja555]

Not all soldiers are hero's. Anyone can become a hero given the chance, but putting on a uniform dosen't make you a hero. Any person risking their life every day to help free someone's freedom deserve some respect.

 

[Rokar333]

People that live through many wars are still not heroes. They are survivors.

People that join the army because they want to are idiotic, in my opinion. You know there's a chance you're going to get shot and that you're going to kill someone. You're a murderer, not a martyr.

You know what is really ignorant and idiotic? Assuming that people want to join the armed forces because they want to kill people. Assuming that the majority of military personnel have ever been in combat, and assuming that every job in any of the armed forces requires shooting people.

Screw you, for being an over-idealistic hippie. Screw you for standing against the establishment that facilitated the meeting of my parents, and Screw you for judging one of my only viable choices for college funding left without fully considering the reasons why people join the armed forces.

tl;dr Go. Repeatedly. Pleasure. Your Anus. With. A. Dildo.

 

[ReincarnatedFTP]

People that live through many wars are still not heroes. They are survivors.

People that join the army because they want to are idiotic, in my opinion. You know there's a chance you're going to get shot and that you're going to kill someone. You're a murderer, not a martyr.

The soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War of America freed the slaves. Were they just murderers? The Soldiers who fought in World War 2 ended the mass salughter of the Chinese at the hands of the Japanese (30 million Chinese were killed before the Allies stopped Japan.) Were they "just" murderers? The Soldiers who fought Hitler and Mussolini ended the slavery and murder of innocent people. Were they "just" murderers?

Killing and Murder are not the same thing. The difference is justification. Killing to save innocent people from evil bastards is not wrong.

Hmm. Just want to gauge your opinion, not debating here. But, what do you think of Antifa? Is their violence against fascists okay? In their minds they're just preventing the next fascist rise, and quelling it before it can start. Pre-emptive war for defense of the people.
I once came across a quote from some anti-fascist-"If we are trespassing, so were the American soldiers who broke down the gates of Hitler's death camps; If we are thieves, so were the members of the Underground Railroad who freed the slaves of the South; and if we are vandals, so were those who destroyed forever the gas chambers of Buchenwald and Auschswitz".

Were the communists who killed Nazis in the streets in the 30s heros? Were the anarchists during the Spanish Civil War and the Russian revolution heros?

Again, just trying to get your opinion.

 

[katsa5]

I shouldn't participate because I would offer nothing new that hasn't been said. But I am of the School of Thought that will result in saying, "My Grandfather went through hell in WW2 so you could still have the right to call him a 'Killer', you jerk!!"

 

[TheFacelessOne]

Well, I don't necessarily think that they are all heroes. You can't be called a hero just because you risk your life every day. You can call yourself brave and courageous, which I think better suits soldier.

But there are definitely soldiers that are heroes. I just don't think they should all be labeled as such.

 

[RelexCryo]

People that live through many wars are still not heroes. They are survivors.

People that join the army because they want to are idiotic, in my opinion. You know there's a chance you're going to get shot and that you're going to kill someone. You're a murderer, not a martyr.

The soldiers who fought for the Union in the Civil War of America freed the slaves. Were they just murderers? The Soldiers who fought in World War 2 ended the mass salughter of the Chinese at the hands of the Japanese (30 million Chinese were killed before the Allies stopped Japan.) Were they "just" murderers? The Soldiers who fought Hitler and Mussolini ended the slavery and murder of innocent people. Were they "just" murderers?

Killing and Murder are not the same thing. The difference is justification. Killing to save innocent people from evil bastards is not wrong.

Hmm. Just want to gauge your opinion, not debating here. But, what do you think of Antifa? Is their violence against fascists okay? In their minds they're just preventing the next fascist rise, and quelling it before it can start. Pre-emptive war for defense of the people.
I once came across a quote from some anti-fascist-"If we are trespassing, so were the American soldiers who broke down the gates of Hitler's death camps; If we are thieves, so were the members of the Underground Railroad who freed the slaves of the South; and if we are vandals, so were those who destroyed forever the gas chambers of Buchenwald and Auschswitz".

Were the communists who killed Nazis in the streets in the 30s heros? Were the anarchists during the Spanish Civil War and the Russian revolution heros?

Again, just trying to get your opinion.

If their enemies truly were violating their rights, if the resistance made very reasonable attempt to reduce collateral damage, if they themselves were not fighting just to replace the current dictators and create a new dictatorship, then yes, they are.

 

[The Atomic Irishman]

This is one of those things that must be taken with a grain of salt. The soldier must do something deserving of the title. I do believe that our soldiers are heroes, as they are going there, even if they do not wish to be there.

 

[RelexCryo]

Let's apply simple logic here:

Would you say Deadpool is a hero?
Would you say The Punisher is a hero?
Would you say that any of the TF2 cast are heroes?
What about Altair?
Or Rambo?
Or John Mclane?
Or Eragon?

Bottom line, if you kill people, you're not a hero. We say it in the media, and we said it about Hitler and Jihaddists and the 9/11 hijackers. How many people overseas do you think count Al Quaeda's suicide bombers as heroes? Or how many 1940-era Germans thought that about the Nazi invaders?

Just becasue you're fighting under the American banner, murder isn't condonable or heroic.

So I'll ask you that question again:

Are paid gunmen heroes? Are soldiers heroes?

Deadpool and the TF2 cast are mercenaries who do it for cash. The Punisher is fueled by vengeance, not necessarily a desire to protect people.

You're trying to fight against unconditional patriotism, and I agree that glorifying anything the government does just because the government does it is wrong. But protecting innocent people is heroic. And sometimes that does require killing.

 

[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

I was truly expecting a picture of this guy.

Spoiler

I really was. Glad to see it was really a full article.

Haha, that soldier is a hero just for having the courage to wear those boxers. This guy is also a hero:

Spoiler

But yeah, that chap who the article is about is from my village Heroic stuff.

 

[Canadaftw]

It's not a simple yes, no or I'm not sure. I think it depends why you joined, which side attacked first, what you did as in, did you kill any innocent people, did you enjoy killing, what was the reason to have the war ect.

 

[manbearpig91]

A real hero is someone who saves lives, not takes them.

People can talk about dying for their country, but no one talks about killing for their country.

 

[Jaranja]

People that live through many wars are still not heroes. They are survivors.

People that join the army because they want to are idiotic, in my opinion. You know there's a chance you're going to get shot and that you're going to kill someone. You're a murderer, not a martyr.

You know what is really ignorant and idiotic? Assuming that people want to join the armed forces because they want to kill people. Assuming that the majority of military personnel have ever been in combat, and assuming that every job in any of the armed forces requires shooting people.

Fuck you, for being a hippie ****. Fuck you for standing against the establishment that facilitated the meeting of my parents, and fuck you for judging one of my only viable choices for college funding left without fully considering the reasons why people join the armed forces.

tl;dr Go. Fuck. Yourself.

Ooh, touchy subject. Don't you think that if there were no armies, it would be more peaceful? I guess you're too blinded by the media and the good that's come out of war to realise that millions of innocent people are killed and millions more lives are destroyed by it.

P.S: I know you think that swearing adds emphasis to your rant but it just makes you seem more moronic.

 

[ucciolord1]

Depends on why they joined the military and what they did.

 

[katsa5]

A real hero is someone who saves lives, not takes them.

People can talk about dying for their country, but no one talks about killing for their country.

I agree. My grandfather was a Front Lines Medic, and my grandfather-in-law was a Code-Talker. Neither had to fire a gun, but they're still heroes.