To think that a HERO is someone who has saved lives, or who has helped people in terrible situations, or who has put themselves in danger in order to help, or who

[hecAteTheirBrains]

through their words or actions, has made the world or some part of it, a safer place, or who has rescued a child from a burning building, or has saved an old lady from a knife-wielding robber, or took on the system to fight to end racial segregation, or who spent most of their life in jail because they tried to make a difference or who risks their lives fighting for their country, or....

NOT someone who runs round a track faster than other people running round the track, or someone who pedals the fastest out of a group of people on bicycles.

Yes, I am of course, talking about our Olympic 'heroes' and this parade folks are on about to celebrate the total heroism of taking part in a competition to see who can chuck a stick furthest across a field or paddle a small boat fastest down a stream.

Bollocks.

Great big festering, sore-covered, pus filled weeping, hairy bollocks.

How insulting to call them 'heroes'.

I suppose because they have overcome a lot of hurdles to excel in something, and are a good role model for turning their situation around? It sends a good positive message, I think.

I'm not annoyed I just think it's sad that so many people have so little respect for what our military go through. There's obviously no point in expecting any better from someone who compares our forces to the IRA though.

Of all the things to get upset about.

referring to the op and not subsequent argument about the Forces. Tremendous respect there and for their wives.

DS (3.10) and I had this conversation a few days ago.....

DS - "Mummy?"
me - "yes Darling?"
DS - "Spiderman is a hero isn't he?"
me - "yes Darling, he is..."
DS - "and Tommy Zoom."
me - "yes I think so...."
DS - "But, Daddy is my hero."

I told DH when he got in and DH cried. He never cries, but it really choked him.

I view a hero as someone who saves, or helps to save lives.

I am a military wife and have had to say goodbye to my DH and close friends on numerous occasions.

I do nothing heroic in their absence, just get on with life like everyone else but when they come home and tell me what happens out there, about the lives my DH and his friends have saved, about the courageous acts performed while looking out for each other I am unable to describe them as anything else but bloody Heroes.

I am so proud of my DH.

"There's obviously no point in expecting any better from someone who compares our forces to the IRA though. "

mother of christ,i'm in no way condoning the actions of the armed forces and i said from the off my intention was not to start an argument about the rights and wrongs of war. it ws at the op who was getting annoyed at the referral to olympians as heroes. she used the military as an example of someone who are real heroes and that it was insulting to refer to athletes as heroes. and i used that example to illustrate my point that everyone has different values when it comes to heroes because i personally don't see the military as heroic, yet i had no problem with her defining them as heroes and i didn't take her definition as insulting to the people who i'd define as heroes.that's all.i made no moral values on military people.i simply stated that i did not consider them heroes.
the mention of the IRA was to show that there are people who risk their lives for their cause who are in no way heroic because there were people on this thread who were saying that risking your life for your country/cause was heroic.

I totally agree with hec
and now a short informative film to illustrate her point

McDreamy, my husband is ex-forces & we have lots of friends who have been/are currently in Iraq/Afghan. I wish people realized what it's like to be out there & appreciated the courage involved. Leave the politics to the politicians.

What a joyless thread.

Sheesh, there is enough negativity in life as it is, without people pouring bile on something as relatively innocent as a parade to honour the achievements of people who are, actually, heroes to some people.

The definition of hero given on this thread is a fairly broad one, and I think that those who won gold medals at the Olympics fulfill that definition. They have worked extremely hard to achieve what they did in Beijing, and in doing so, brought pride and happiness to a lot of people. If they have inspired children to apply themselves and work towards that sort of achievement themselves. then they are heroes.

FWIW I am also a military wife, and I find it hard to use the word hero about Bloke. It just seems surreal to me - but this is probably because I struggle to accept the danger he is in when he is away in a war zone, and probably deal with that period in a state of denial. But it is what it is, and it's the situation we are in, so we manage.

I think that maybe the OP (and Hecate, I usually agree with your posts) should just relax slightly, and allow people to see choose their own heroes.

ISnt a hero someone you aspire to be whether they have fought a fire, saved someone life, set an example or run a marathon??????

A hero is someone you would love to be!!!!!