# Jessica Lynch a hero? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 23, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410 "2003-07-23T17:05:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/21 "2003-07-24T13:49:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BillyGnos \* > Survival is not heroic. Hero is a word that in my opinion should only be bestowed upon those who knowingly risk their lives for the sake of the greater good. Jessica Lynch simply survived a war zone. \*\* Aren’t you kind of contradicting yourself here? I think I understand what you are saying - why is she any more or less a hero than any other soldier who came under fire? The answer - she’s “camera friendly” And I have newfound respect for Buzz Aldrin. But he comes from a generation where if you mouthed off to someone, you expected a punch in the face. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/22 "2003-07-24T14:17:22Z")
**msmith537** , It seems like you feel that anyone who joins the U.S. milirairy automatically receives hero status with the signing of the contract. That would explain the confusion here over the word ‘hero’. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/23 "2003-07-24T14:23:38Z")
She’s a “hero” because she’s young, female and pretty. What saddens me is that while she was probably brave, and undoubtedly suffered, there are probably hundreds more soliders and civilians displaying far more “heroic” actions, and suffering far worse brutality, whose stories will go unnoticed. Frankly, Lynch did not do anything outside the call of duty. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/24 "2003-07-24T17:44:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Latro \* > **msmith537** , > It seems like you feel that anyone who joins the U.S. milirairy automatically receives hero status with the signing of the contract. > > That would explain the confusion here over the word ‘hero’. \*\* I think the confusion is that we all have our own definition of “hero” and there are varying degrees of “heroism”. There are “heros” who are people we look up to as role models. There are heros who by virtue of circumstance survive a terrible ordeal. There are heros who do great things or demonstrate great sacrifice. I would say that people who join the military aren’t necessarily “heros”, but they certainly deserve credit for taking on what most of us would consider a distasteful and dangerous task. I think Lynch’s story would have been a lot more remarkable if the rest of the POWs weren’t released a week later. It kind of gives it a sense of “big deal…so she was rescued by commandos instead of spending another week in a hospital.” ---
**Author:** ![urban1a](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e47c2d/32.png) [@urban1a](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/urban1a)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/25 "2003-07-24T19:38:04Z")
I was going to start a thread similar to this, but I’m glad someone beat me to it. My ‘complaint’ is that Jessica was delivered home in a blackhawk helicopter. Now, I’m sure that she wasn’t the only one. I’m sure that the DOD provides a chaffeur driven blackhawk for every returning wounded soldier. Still, it seemed to be to be more ‘grandstanding’ and ‘political’ than necessary. Bob ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/26 "2003-07-24T20:00:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aldebaran \* > > Yet they are already made into heros because they make a living by learning how to kill… And when they then actually go somewhere to do the killing, they become saints. > > I think you must be American to get this. One word: “Jihad”. Another word: “Fatwa”. No, I think that many non-Americans are quite happy to glorify bloodletting. Indeed, we must **never** forget under any circumstances, whatsoever, no matter what, that Palestinians _danced in the streets_ to celebrate the attack on New York City. Bloodymindedness is not a uniquely American trait, no matter how much liars would have us believe otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/27 "2003-07-24T23:47:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by istara \* > **She’s a “hero” because she’s young, female and pretty.** Bingo. I remember the CNN reports of the **huge** search-and-extraction operation the military underwent to get her back. Would they have put out so much effort if Lynch had been male? Doubtful. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/28 "2003-07-25T01:59:49Z")
Are you sure, tracer? Seems to me that unless the entire Black Hawk Down story (not just the movie) is complete and utter fiction, at least some branches of the military will go to rather extreme lengths to leave no one behind. Don’t you think that all necessary measures would be taken if they had a tip as to the whereabouts of the soldier (Streiker?) still missing from Gulf War I? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/29 "2003-07-25T02:33:57Z")
**msmith:** _We no longer value the rugged, tough Marine who wades ashore under heavy fire and punches a Nazi in the face._ Really? We seem to have quite a crush on the firefighters and police officers who run into collapsing skyscrapers to try to rescue people from a horrible death. Is that a “wussier” thing to do than punching a Nazi? ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 10:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/30 "2003-07-25T10:48:42Z")
> [@](#): > > remember the CNN reports of the huge search-and-extraction operation the military underwent to get her back. Would they have put out so much effort if Lynch had been male? Doubtful. I don’t believe this is correct, remember Scott O’grady the F-16 pilot that was shot down over Bosnia. O’grady was made into a hero complete with medals against his wishes. Good press for the military. ---
**Author:** ![Latro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a87d85/32.png) [@Latro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Latro)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/31 "2003-07-25T11:28:29Z")
Don’t you think there is a wee difference between people trapped behind enemy lines and people already captured? Let alone a POW being treated in a hospital. ---
**Author:** ![OliverH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/278dde/32.png) [@OliverH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OliverH)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/32 "2003-07-25T11:51:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\* > > There are a number of reasons: > -One of them is because the people in our military are there by their own choosing. They are not a bunch of rabble pressed into service > \*\* Which does not make them in any way whatsoever exceptional. > [@](#): > > \*\* > -The are are able to achieve a level of discipline and physical training that most people can’t comprehend. > \*\* That’s because that level of discipline has previously been found profoundly unconductive to civilized warfare. > [@](#): > > \*\* > -They believe in something greater than themselves and are willing to risk their lives defending it > \*\* Which does not make them in any way exceptional. > [@](#): > > \*\* > -They kick ass > \*\* So what you say is that what makes them exceptional is that their means of articulation of choice involves physical violence? Wow. The Neandertal around the corner here was full of such heros. > [@](#): > > \*\* > I mean lets face it. Most people are fat stupid pussies who lead dull uninteresting lives. My admin freakin complains every day about everything. Half the people I know have their day ruined if they get stuck in a subway for 5 minutes. We live in a world where if you bitch and complain long enough, someone will make your big bad problem go away. These people jump out of airplanes and live in a world where their buddies might get blown up tomorrow for delivering auto supplies to the wrong map coordinates. \*\* And would probably sh\*t into their pants when asked to work in a level 4 biosafety lab. The fact that half the people you know are morons who have nothing to live for says something about you, but is totally irrelevant to the point you tried to reply to. ---
**Author:** ![Dogface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/33 "2003-07-25T17:34:09Z")
Level 4? That doesn’t take guts. It’s not like we’re talking about an active hot zone, after all. The only thing that would really bother me is that I hate having my blood drawn, but if it’s in the job description, I’ll do it. ---
**Author:** ![stick\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@stick\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stick_monkey)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/34 "2003-07-25T18:07:49Z")
To the OP… She did her job. It’s a job I wouldn’t like, and hopefully will not be forced to take. It (in my book) earns her respect, but doesn’t make her a hero. To Alderbaran’s question: Us americans (in general) like to paint rosey, optimistic, idealistic pictures of our world. We are rich fat and happy, so everyone else has to be, right? We still tend to see our military in the same light as the veterans of the revolutionary war. We tend to think of them as shedding their blood for freedom and democracy. And while I think that many of the people who join the military join for that reason, In my experience, most just join to better their current situation (the collegiate benefits, or the ‘easy’ money/training, and the boost to the resume’). It’s something that I personally commend anyone for trying (am big on self-improvement) and give them appropriate respect for doing. However the gods’ honest truth is that for the most part they are providing an unnecessary and often unwanted function in the modern world; and are unfortunately often pawns in heinous acts perpetuated by those in power. In short we wear blinders in this country, just like everywhere else in the world. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410/35 "2003-07-25T19:56:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MLS \* > **Are you sure, tracer? Seems to me that unless the entire Black Hawk Down story (not just the movie) is complete and utter fiction, at least some branches of the military will go to rather extreme lengths to leave no one behind.** True – but as Latro pointed out, the gy in Black Hawk Down was trapped behind enemy lines but not yet captured. Jessica Lynch **was** captured. I seem to recall there were 6 other people with Lynch when she was captured – yet the operation was advertised as the campaign to rescue Jessica Lynch, not the campaign to rescue 7 captured folks. (Whatever happened to the 6 people that were with her? Were they rescued too?) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jessica-lynch-a-hero/190410.md?page=1)