politically-correct heroes

One of the most persistent themes on facebook these days is that members of America's military are "heroes:" explicitly or implicitly, ALL heroes.

The King James Bible translators used a word in Philippians 3:8 that Christians seldom cite anymore. But what better place to use it than of facebook ? So I say; facebook's repeated tributes to America's military heroes are absolutely "dung."

It's simply dishonest use of language. The only honest use of "hero" is for someone whose valor greatly exceeds the norm. Those who "greatly exceed" in any group or endeavor are very few: by definition. Declaring every member of America's military a "hero" makes no more sense than declaring every student in our favorite school a "genius." Pride is speaking...not Truth.

That proud dishonesty has become the politically-correct "thinking" for many on facebook. I upset an older woman there by comparing the armed, self-appointed, "militia" who showed up uninvited at Ferguson, Missouri,'s riots, to publicity-seeking agitators like Al Sharpton. Her angry response was that these armed "Oath Keepers" were ex-military . . . therefore "upstanding" men, with honorable motives..."heroes."

Here's the truth: there are certainly heroes in the military...people who "greatly exceed" the requirement, whether in combat or other missions. But by definition, exceptional people are few in any group. The vast majority of our military are decent people, who do their jobs well; some, very well. There are also as many bullies, thieves, goldbricks (which term originated in the military), manipulators, back-stabbers, and jerks in the military as there are in any other large, diverse, group of Americans.

That observation won't suit facebook's current "political correctness:" but it's true. Just ask anyone who's been in the military.