# Are the Boston Marathon bombing survivors heroes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 10, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783 "2014-04-10T05:29:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [April 11, 2014, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/21 "2014-04-11T15:32:09Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > What do you mean “so far”? The bombing occurred a year ago. 😕 Or is this like some one-year tribute type thing? I don’t know where the **OP** is located, but here in the Boston area coverage is ramping up a lot. The one year anniversary is next Tuesday, and the next running of the marathon is the Monday after that. I’d say there’s been at least one bombing related story per local newscast this week. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/22 "2014-04-11T20:06:49Z")
We no longer have our heroes any more: Tiger Woods, Mark McGwire, Bill Clinton, have all been publicly lambasted by the media. Thus, we stretch ourselves so thin that now being a common person in an unfortunate situation qualifies one as a “hero.” Is a surviving mother whose two children were killed in a drone strike in Yemen a “hero?” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/23 "2014-04-11T20:11:38Z")
Just the other day we had a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=720578) where a woman who abandoned her newborn in a Burger King restroom was described as “brave and dedicated”. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/24 "2014-04-11T20:14:54Z")
No! They are not heroes. By any stretch of the imagination, they are not heroes. They are survivors, victims, people my heart goes out to. But this nonsense to classify them is heroes cheapens the word. And, for the record, just because someone wears a military, policeman’s or firefighter’s uniform, that doesn’t make them any more of a hero than a short-order cook. To all who perpetuate such stupidity—especially reporters and journalists—please stop. You are not being helpful. ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/25 "2014-04-11T20:16:02Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > We no longer have our heroes any more: Tiger Woods, Mark McGwire, Bill Clinton, have all been publicly lambasted by the media. > > Thus, we stretch ourselves so thin that now being a common person in an unfortunate situation qualifies one as a “hero.” > > Is a surviving mother whose two children were killed in a drone strike in Yemen a “hero?” Nope. Not simply for the act you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/26 "2014-04-11T20:16:59Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > We no longer have our heroes any more: Tiger Woods, Mark McGwire, Bill Clinton, have all been publicly lambasted by the media. Yup, those were the last three. ---
**Author:** ![Stringbean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Stringbean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stringbean)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/27 "2014-04-11T21:57:02Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Yup, those were the last three. Well the last one for me was Iron Man but after the third title I was done with him. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/28 "2014-04-14T14:00:12Z")
A tragedy for sure but no hero’s among the victims. A vastly overused and hyped word. IMHO. But………….the poor newspapers and broadcast news outlets must sell things somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/29 "2014-04-14T14:13:22Z")
> [@davida03801](#): > > A tragedy for sure but no hero’s among the victims. Actually, there are heroes among the victims. Not all victims are heroes, but some are. From what they did at the seen, soon after (identifying the bomber after having your legs blown off), and during their recovery, they qualify as true heroes in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783/30 "2014-04-21T11:38:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Actually, there are heroes among the victims. I’m wondering if there are heroes among the heroes…or, do we have a heroes gap??🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-boston-marathon-bombing-survivors-heroes/685783.md?page=1)