Jessica Lynch is a hero?

It doesn't discredit anyone else's accomplishments. However, it does expose the shallowness of the American media.

 

She's way more a hero than that little girl who fell down the well, and even more heroic than those coal miners in Pennsylvania a while back who were stuck underground for a week.
But she'll never be as big a hero as that guy in the Guiness Book of World Records who was struck by lightning seven times. That takes real courage.

 

This reminds me of a JFK story. Someone asked him how he became a hero. He replied, they sank my boat.

 

I gotta agree. While she did go thru a grueling experience and is somewhat of a brave person for even being there I think this whole "shes a superhero" thing is out of control. But hey what doi you expect from the media.

 

Objectivity? Oh yeah, right, that ************ went out of the window years ago...

 

I have always heard mixed stories about that incident.

Was it JFK's fault his boat was sunk?

 

There's a Chapaquidic joke in there somewhere, but I just don't have it in me.

 

John McCain also claimed that he is no hero since he only got shot down, resulting in the loss of a multi-million dollar aircraft.

 

McCain was offered early release by the NV's and he told them basically to go ***** themselves.

 

This thread reads like a lot of jealousy.

What is everyones definition of being a hero? Does one have to be killed in order to be declared a hero?

I have no issues calling her a hero. I have no issues handing out a silver star or whatever other medals will be awarded. So what's it to you? You want one too? Go through the hell she went through at age 19 and get back to me.

Her fellow troops that were killed are also heros as well as all the others we will never hear of.

Just be sure your arses are standing on the streets when they have a local parade honoring those giving it up there and in Afghanistan and all the other places.

 

I dont think anyone really has any problem to calling her a hero. heck I think that once you take the oath to protect and serve this country with your life, you should be called a hero. Because a hero to me is someone who does something most people wont or cant, one who sacrifices himself for the betterment of others.

But I think the problem is that they make such a big deal about her getting captured and all that and make THAT be her "calling". She really had no choice in the situation, its great that she lived throught it but it had more to do with her captors rather than her. You know who the REAL hero is in that whole situation? THat Iraqui dude. what he did deserves FAR more attention and hoopla than just lying in a bed getting bitchslapped for 10 days. We should all feel gratefull and thankful that Lynch made it back from that experience tho, but to the extent where we are covering her plane land and reporting every fart she lays is ridiculous. WHat about the other 7 dudes who where on the plane coming home injured with her? They got no press.

But you cant blame Lynch you gotta blame the media.

 

Yes, I'd agree that that Iraqi guy does need to get more attention than her as he sacrificed not only his life but his families life to help save her. She does deserve some credit. I don't think she deserves a Silver Star. There are other awards that she will have earned.

 

This is to TeamUSA...if it's about "what she went through," then what about the people wrongly convicted, then freed 15 years later due to DNA evidence? Are those people heroes? Or victims?

 

Depends.

If they went to jail as a choice, as all military people go to war by choice, then maybe we could put this arguement on a level basis. Otherwise, apples and oranges.

Besides (and I think we agree here, dave), could the soldier sue the government for unlawfull war as opposed to the inmate suing the state for unlawful imprisonment?

Jessica has yet to ask for any awards. She has not spoken to the media. I wouldn't even blame the media. I would guess the government has used her as a soft human face to gain sympathy for this war.

Then again, I have no proof and have even considered that the US government has held the other POWs themselves to gain sympathy from the media and the people.

 

The U.S. is going to be very reluctant to allow any of the POW's to speak to the media because the truth will come out that the Iraqi's attacked the convoy in a military firefight and sadly 10 of our solidiers died in that firefight.

The Iraqi's captured the remaining solidiers, provided them with healthcare and never assainated a soul.

One of the POW's have already told this story. I doubt the others will get a chance to.

 

Today's Washington Post had an article about her rescue, etc today. The Iraqui doctor they interviewed said she was receiving better treatment than the Iraquis in the hospital and implied the US soldiers may have been a bit unnecesarily Rambo-ish about the whole thing. He claims there were no Iraqui soldiers present at the hospital.

 

Rambo-ish?
Did the US troops go in and kill everyone in sight?
Should they have knocked on the front door and ask if Jessica could come out and play?

I mean, go in with force, overwhelm them with surprise and speed, after knowing a layout of the building, providing a diversion, etc...Without a hitch is the last word I heard.

The latest comments just show that the Iraqi people are not the monsters many used to believe. I don't know who believed this exactly, but Iraq's track record was well known.

Maybe Bush's words made it clear...war crimes would follow any and all ill treatment of POWs.

 

Perhaps it was called for. I don't recall saying otherwise. But sending a squadron of helicopters and shutting down the hospital full of wounded people seems more than is necessary to take control of an understaffed hospital defended by doctors and nurses.
Garcia, you seem a bit jumpy today. Too much caffeine?

 

Sorry, I usually don't try to imply a tone in my posts. Really.

At any rate, a report I heard today was that Iraqi troops had recently left the hospital or something to that effect.

Regardless of actual intel at that exact moment, pretty much the whole nation was (is) a warzone and needed to be treated as such.

 

What kind of operation would you have planned, Captain, with your intel, experience, and training?