Hayes Sorry For Saying He Feels 'Uncomfortable' Calling Killed Soldiers 'Heroes'

[Still a Democrat]

What he said

I think it's interesting because I think it is very difficult to talk about the war dead and the fallen without invoking valor, without invoking the words "heroes." Why do I feel so [uncomfortable] about the word "hero"? I feel comfortable -- uncomfortable -- about the word because it seems to me that it is so rhetorically proximate to justifications for more war. Um, and, I don't want to obviously desecrate or disrespect memory of anyone that's fallen, and obviously there are individual circumstances in which there is genuine, tremendous heroism: hail of gunfire, rescuing fellow soldiers and things like that. But it seems to me that we marshal this word in a way that is problematic. But maybe I'm wrong about that.

Apology

On Sunday, in discussing the uses of the word "hero" to describe those members of the armed forces who have given their lives, I don't think I lived up to the standards of rigor, respect and empathy for those affected by the issues we discuss that I've set for myself. I am deeply sorry for that.

As many have rightly pointed out, it's very easy for me, a TV host, to opine about the people who fight our wars, having never dodged a bullet or guarded a post or walked a mile in their boots. Of course, that is true of the overwhelming majority of our nation's citizens as a whole. One of the points made during Sunday's show was just how removed most Americans are from the wars we fight, how small a percentage of our population is asked to shoulder the entire burden and how easy it becomes to never read the names of those who are wounded and fight and die, to not ask questions about the direction of our strategy in Afghanistan, and to assuage our own collective guilt about this disconnect with a pro-forma ritual that we observe briefly before returning to our barbecues.

But in seeking to discuss the civilian-military divide and the social distance between those who fight and those who don't, I ended up reinforcing it, conforming to a stereotype of a removed pundit whose views are not anchored in the very real and very wrenching experience of this long decade of war. And for that I am truly sorry.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/28...50643.html

[Born_A_Truman]

It was a stupid thing to say.

[Drunken Irishman]

(05-30-2012 07:24 PM)Born_A_Truman Wrote:  It was a stupid thing to say.

Agreed. I get his point, but the way he said it was very insulting to people who served and families of members who served. I come from a long line of veterans - my father was a Vietnam Veteran, my grandfather a World War II veteran and my Great Grandfather a World War I veteran and they all were heroes in my book.

[Still a Democrat]

(05-31-2012 03:07 AM)Drunken Irishman Wrote:  

(05-30-2012 07:24 PM)Born_A_Truman Wrote:  It was a stupid thing to say.

Agreed. I get his point, but the way he said it was very insulting to people who served and families of members who served. I come from a long line of veterans - my father was a Vietnam Veteran, my grandfather a World War II veteran and my Great Grandfather a World War I veteran and they all were heroes in my book.

Well said.

[jaxx]

I can't imagine why that was brought up here.

[Still a Democrat]

(05-30-2012 09:31 PM)jaxx Wrote:  I can't imagine why that was brought up here.

Not sure what you mean.

[suzie]

What Born A Truman said.

[Treestar]

I see what he is getting at, but it wasn't the best way to put it. It is not a justification for more wars to say they are heroes when they do what they have to do. But making it a thing of valor in some way makes it desirable, something to aspire to, and that could create some bias toward creating wars. It is part of that war is necessary and will always be mantra.