# Am I oversensitive or is it tacky to say somebody "won" the Medal of Honor? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 17, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974 "2010-11-17T14:41:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/1 "2010-11-17T14:41:04Z")
I’m looking at you, _Wall Street Journal_. It looks like you took your coverage of the royal engagement from _USA Today_ and then had a seventh grade girl rewrite it, and then your picture headline (which I no longer have in front of me and can’t find on their website) is something like “Living Solider **Wins** Medal of Honor”. I think that’s just incredibly crass and tacky. It’s much more appropriate to say “is awarded” or “is recognized with” or “receives”. You don’t _win_ a valor award because it isn’t a competition - you certainly aren’t trying to come in first, you aren’t competing with others to get it, etc. You did something above and beyond the call of duty and now we are recognizing your bravery and selflessness with an award. Am I too sensitive, or is this important? ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/2 "2010-11-17T14:47:05Z")
I agree, it’s tacky. I don’t think it’s particularly important though. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/3 "2010-11-17T14:50:41Z")
**Richard** , that about sums up what I think. And I know that no one tries to win for the most part but there must be a Tracy Flick of soldiers out there… ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/4 "2010-11-17T14:55:02Z")
Well, I wouldn’t think it was important if you came up to me and said, “Hey, did you hear about that guy who won the Medal of Honor?” But if you were, say, an editor of a major national newspaper and you were writing a headline above the fold, I’d expect a little more of you. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/5 "2010-11-17T14:55:42Z")
I don’t think it’s “tacky” per se but “win” implies something that you’re trying for and hoping to get. The Medal of Honor is military, right? (I think of the full phrase ‘Congressional Medal of Honor’ which for some reason suggests it might be awarded to non-military at times but I could be wrong). Anyway - the sort of extraordinary achievements that would result in someone being awarded this? Well, either they’re military and it’s awarded for actions in an extremely dangerous situation (which even most military people don’t seek out / hope for - who wants to be shot at?), or private citizens doing extraordinary things that they’d be driven to do anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/6 "2010-11-17T15:11:25Z")
Yes, it’s strictly a military award. The highest civilian honor is IIRC the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ETA - also, if you ever need to pull some bit of trivia out of your hat, it is the only thing they hang around your neck in the US military. ETAA - Well, the only award they hang around your neck. You might still be able to get a rope, I don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/7 "2010-11-17T15:48:55Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Well, I wouldn’t think it was important if you came up to me and said, “Hey, did you hear about that guy who won the Medal of Honor?” But if you were, say, an editor of a major national newspaper and you were writing a headline above the fold, I’d expect a little more of you. Yeah I guess it might warrant a brief letter to the editor if you were that way inclined. I must admit my expectations of the media have dropped significantly in the past ten years or so. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/8 "2010-11-17T16:22:25Z")
No kidding - when I went to their website to find the headline (because I’m too lazy to go upstairs where I put the issues out on the floor) there was a huge picture and ad for their story on buying _investment luxury goods._ Like purses. Just in case they had some extra credibility they wanted to get rid of. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/9 "2010-11-17T16:31:41Z")
It is tacky and crass, and the WSG should know better. However, copy editors, who are the ones who write the headlines, are forever trying to come up with what will fill the space and short little words like “wins” are like pearls. He/she might have tried “receives” first and “earns” didn’t fit either and “gets” didn’t sound right and then he wrote it all over again and shit-it’s-deadline and oh, hell, let’s-go-with-“wins.” Sloppy work. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/10 "2010-11-17T16:34:59Z")
Yes, as a sub editor I know exactly why they put “win” in the headline – because it’s three characters and it fits without knocking over. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/11 "2010-11-17T16:35:32Z")
For lack of a better option, I went ahead and chose tacky and crass – but I’d chalk it up more to just lazy writing. I’d have probably said “earns” or “receives,” but I think headline writers are more in the habit of counting letters than worrying about nuance. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/12 "2010-11-17T16:36:00Z")
Crass? Really? _Crass?_ You people need to get a grip. No, “won” is not be the best word choice, but BFD. It’s not “crass.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/13 "2010-11-17T16:36:07Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > I must admit my expectations of the media have dropped significantly in the past ten years or so. Yep. I kinda remember a Twilight Zone/Outer Limits type episode in which people with exceptional talents were unable to perform in their area of expertise; like a ballet dancer had to carry extra weight, or a newscaster had to be homely with a speech impediment. So maybe the media is intentionally being dumbed-down so that the lower end of the IQ curve isn’t feeling badly. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/14 "2010-11-17T16:41:28Z")
If Denzel Washington has taught me anything, it’s that you “receive” the Medal of Honor - it’s not a contest. Also, it’s just called the Medal of Honor, not the Congressional Medal of Honor. ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/15 "2010-11-17T16:46:59Z")
It wouldn’t have occurred to me but yes, I agree with you. I read some of his comments yesterday, it was obvious he would trade in his win to have the whole thing never have happened in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/16 "2010-11-17T16:57:32Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Yep. I kinda remember a Twilight Zone/Outer Limits type episode in which people with exceptional talents were unable to perform in their area of expertise; like a ballet dancer had to carry extra weight, or a newscaster had to be homely with a speech impediment. Do you mean Harrison Bergeron, the Vonnegut story? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/17 "2010-11-17T17:01:22Z")
Count me in the “it is not correct, but headlines routinely rape the English language so what are you going to do?” camp. If anyone hasn’t seen it, try to check out last Sunday’s 60 Minutes on the soldier receiving the Medal of Honor. An amazing story, and the guy is as humble as the day is long. It sure sounded like he really does not want the medal. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/18 "2010-11-17T17:03:48Z")
> [@SecondJudith](#): > > Yes, as a sub editor I know exactly why they put “win” in the headline – because it’s three characters and it fits without knocking over. “Medal of Honor for Living Soldier” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/19 "2010-11-17T17:05:51Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Do you mean Harrison Bergeron, the Vonnegut story? Huh. I love Vonnegut, and I’m sure I’ve read the short story. But I also seem to remember a similar story in B&W television from the late sixties with mask wearing newscasters and weighted ballerinas. Just checked and Netflix doesn’t have Harrison Bergeron. Oh well. /hijack ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974/20 "2010-11-17T17:27:00Z")
> [@Richard\_Pearse](#): > > “Medal of Honor for Living Soldier” Headline writers also prefer the active voice–even, unfortunately, in cases like this where it’s a wee bit inappropriate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-oversensitive-or-is-it-tacky-to-say-somebody-won-the-medal-of-honor/560974.md?page=2)