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These Are NOT Heroes
A couple of days ago, I was listening on the radio to Joe Biden speaking at the funeral of one of the two NYPD cops who had been killed on December 20th. Biden referred to one of the officers, whose funeral he was attending, as a "hero." Not-so-beloved NYC Mayor de Blasio added to this with "New York City has lost a hero, a remarkable man because of the depth of this commitment to those all around him." So, again: a hero.
I was so angry at what I was hearing that I turned the radio off (and, as boring as driving a car is, it takes a lot for me to choose silence over listening). Why was I so mad? Simple: the fact that these guys were shot dead doesn't make them heroes. Period.
Were they nice guys? I dunno, maybe. Were they diligent officers? Could be; I have no idea. Did they love their families? I don't know! Stop with the questions! What I do know is that the simple act of sitting in a squad car and having a lunatic put a bullet through your brain doesn't make you a hero. The word has become overused, particularly by politicians who are doing nothing more than pandering to the public.
Just as a totally random example, I did a search for Medal of Honor recipients and grabbed a description of the very first one I found; read this:
Discovering seven Iraqi vehicles in a column attempting to depart, Corporal Dunham and his team stopped the vehicles to search them for weapons. As they approached the 
vehicles, an insurgent leaped out and attacked Corporal Dunham. Corporal Dunham wrestled the insurgent to the ground and in the ensuing struggle saw the insurgent release a grenade. Corporal Dunham immediately alerted his fellow Marines to the threat. Aware of the imminent danger and without hesitation, Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines
OK, folks, now that is a hero in my book. He did something selfless in the face of horrific risk to his own welfare. Sure, he was in a dangerous place (just like, to a vastly lesser extent, the NYPD cops) but the cold fact of the matter is that he took the path of sacrifice rather than self-preservation. And you don't have to be a soldier or cop to be a hero. Any everyday person can fit the role, and throughout history, many have.
Would either Wenjian Liu or Rafael Ramo behaved in the same fashion as Corporal Dunham? Maybe. Maybe not. We'll never know. And if they did, they should rightly be called heroes. But, for pity's sake, let's try to reserve these labels for those who truly deserve them.
The officers died a needless and tragic death, and I'm glad the shooter took his own life and saved taxpayers the expense of giving him a trial. But...................these are.........not............heroes.
Thank you!
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I'm in Roi Et. Spent 23 years in the War. Wish I saw what you saw...Too many get along go along types and where are the Leaders/LEAD by example types? Nonethelesss, Heer is to Hope. are you Familiar with Ken O Keefe? Watch this Shit!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S10Aotp_tvo
I find vids of cops doing the right thiing...so they are human.
We all 'put or lives on the line every day'. Being a cop is not, statistically, a particularly dangerous profession. They don't even make the top 10.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/08/22/americas-10-deadliest-jobs-2/
No self-respecting logger calls himself a "lumberjack" any more than a mechanic refers to himself as a "grease monkey". At least not out here in FEMA region X. Who writes this crap?
gee, I hope the next time a fisherman dies they have a city wide parade, the president attends and the hero fisherman's wife gets a million dollar payout and a full 6 figure government retirement.
you are right. i wouldn't pass the donut eating section of the exam.
cops are notoriously drawn from the sub average intelligence crowd because the job requires long hours of doing nothing that anyone with a brain would find unbearable.
dumb people require a minimum of responsibility because their intelligence is a natural governor on their ability to perform more complicated tasks. the number of complaints against cops and the high crime rate cops themselves have says that the blowback of hiring dumb people with limited intellectual capabilities is responsible for the violent nature and the criminal perspective correlated with subaverage intelligence.
Wow ... do you hear voices too?
Dude, that is an incredibly stupid fucking broadstroke. I always "loves me some internet, self avowed genius" who claims Mensa membership. Behold, the construct of your genius.
the number of complaints against cops and the high crime rate cops themselves have says that the blowback of hiring dumb people with limited intellectual capabilities is responsible for the violent nature and the criminal perspective correlated with subaverage intelligence.
I note whatever education and intelligence you possess- is apparently well concealed and used sparingly.
grammar police and adhominens is the best you have? asshole!
Grammar police are heroes too. Every day they put their lives on the line in the fight against errant punctuation and improper capitalization that would have mere mortals cowering in fear. We owe them a debt of gratitude and a 10% discount at Denny's.
How does one respond to a statement as ludicrous and loaded with guano as yours. A reasoned response seems almost insulting.
a pig is a pig is a pig
Now why would elected criminals a good number of public officials want intelligent cops with inate curiousity and strong character?
Yes, I too am aware that there are police departments that deliberately do not choose intelligent individuals because "they'd be bored with the job." I call BS on that pretext.
the origins come from the military. the poorest testers went to the mps or kps(kitchen patrol)
The thing about the gun and badge thugs, cops, is this:
Pols and crats can create all the unlawful laws and tyranny on paper that they like, but without the implementers, cops, violating their oaths, and actually going about robbing, maiming, caging and killing, there can be no tyranny.
Cops are where tyranny meets the road--"The tread of tyranny."
The banksters need to repay us.
"Don't tread on me." Literally.
The thing about the gun and badge thugs, cops, is this:
Pols and crats can create all the unlawful laws and tyranny on paper that they like, but without the implementers, cops, violating their oaths, and actually going about robbing, maiming, caging and killing, there can be no tyranny.
Cops are where tyranny meets the road--"The tread of tyranny."
The banksters need to repay us.
"Don't tread on me." Literally.
damn double save
Nice hyperbole. Putting a uniform on every day doesn't make you a hero, actions in the face of mortal danger do.
And I'm sorry you were DQ'd from the NYPD. Buck up tho, I hear there's an opening in Eutawville.
How do most cops that I know get past that "moron disqualification box" thing?
Lie? Well yeah, that would figure.
Homer: That little Timmy is a real hero.
Lisa: What makes him a hero, Dad?
Homer: Well, he fell down the well and ... can't get out.
Lisa: How does that make him a hero?
Homer: Well, it's more than you did!
So your point is that everybody who isn't a hero deserves to die?
No, his point was that not everyone who dies is a hero. Your reading comprehension is about par for a copsucker.
Shit. Remember after 9/11? EVERYBODY was a hero. The guy delivering pizzas was a hero!!
Back in the 80s, I worked for Domino's and delivered pizza, unarmed, to some "sketchy" neighborhood. And received zero tips. I was a hero! Where's my medal???
Copsucker....ROTFLMAO!
Ive "lost" a few friends who jointed the Police force. They become better than thou, and very arrogant...and they believe it...in part because the training acadamies are NOTHING like "Police Acadamy"...they are more akin to boot camps, and teach absolute dominance over anyone the encounter because EVERYONE is a suspect and EVERYONE should be looked at as capable of killing...them.
"If a police officer tells you to sit down, then sit down" - Uh...Why? "Because your TOLD TO DO SO" ZAAAAAAP
They are trained to be this way...what did we expect?
Obaminator ,
You are 1000% correct ... I lost a cousin to the NYPD mindset ... I wouldn't trust him now if you paid me... and the funny thing is that I had an uncle that was a detective in this very precinct from the 1950's through the 80's and he was very cool and saw the big picture... back around 73 he handed me my first gun (one of his throwdowns) when I was 10 or so and I needed protection for a 10 block walk to the cinema... that same summer he took me on a morgue tour... those were the days..
'Protect and Serve' ?!?................. bwahaaaaaaaa
More like 'DO WHAT I SAY - or else....."
I've known a few really good cops wo got involved to actually 'serve' but most viewed it as a well paid gig - with early retirement. Many spent days cooping while working second jobs on 'off time'. In suburbia you have two kinds of departments. Some actually hire through civil service tests and are Ok - you still have some real 'controlling' types but other departments are 'old boy network' - ironically hiring a bunch of the juvenile delinquents in the community because they've gotten to know them well....WTF? Really sorry excuses - many with real drinking issues. Lots of cops used to flashing the badge for free stuff or discounts. Lots of 'perks'. More than a few scandals over the years where a DUI cop got off or was handled with kid gloves. Locally a drunk on his ass NYC cop shot up a car - his arraignment was closed and he wasn't even charged with DUI until later. If the guy were a random minority the officer responding would have shot him no questions asked. Half of the retirees in one local department are on disability - this in a department with little real crime. One guy tried to claim disability for diabetes - he spent too much time sitting behind a desk (WTF? too many donuts is a 'disability'?) He's double dipping now working for the school system. real asshole..... everyone hates him AND he was 'absent' the one day some kids made 'threats' to 'do something'......
My parents thought little of the people that became cops and firemen in the 50's and 60's - not much to do, these were jobs for the unambitious. Later they realized just how much they were making - WITH benefits and pensions far better than elsewhere PLUS most had jobs on the side (and off the books).
They were certainly more heroic than the dead criminals their deaths were meant to avenge.
You kniow, ONLY ZH'ers see this as an anti police state(ment).
The clowns in the street think its about racism.
I don't know how often police get shot. But I'm not enamored with the death of police or anyone else. That includes people or dogs shot by the police. Don't care for any of it.
Anyway I suspect that we will now be treated to national media exposure of every policeman that gets shot. And in a country of 300 million, it may happen almost every day.
The punchline? Give up your guns.
MalteseFalcon you hit the nail on the head. There's no glory anywhere in this topic. And most especially not when all of this will just lead to increased demonization of patriots, constitutionalists, libertarians, conservatives, gun owners, veterans, etc.
It takes a sick mind to declare Corporal Dunham a hero. That isn't you is it Dick? Or is it McCain queuing up to attend another Pat Tilman funeral?
Let's explore this a little further...
So the naieve muppet has willingly enlisted himself into the greatest terrorist organisational in the history of mankind after being brainwashed into believing the false flag 9/11 operation and the vast array of nonsense propaganda to aimed at securing his misplaced nationalist loyalty that simply provides a constant stream of profits to the corrupt corporate plutocrats.
The fool has then happily allowed himself to be shipped across the planet at great cost to his fellow nationals for generations to come and then actively supported yet another illegal military invasion of a soverign state based on false pretences to bring freedom and democracy, but in fact has gleefully contributed towards the murder, maiming and destruction of millions of innoncent civilians while stealing their natural resources and in the course of doing so...the dumb fuck gets killed by a farm labourer defending himself.
Hero? Hah! Hardly.
Zero? Most certainly.
While idiots like Corporal Dunce continue to pick-up a gun and follow orders to attack without question...and other idiots continue to hail them as heroes rather than the criminals they truly are...then the human species continues it's slide into the abyss.
a hero is not necessarily fighting for the "right" side
even Nazi-Germany SS-Divisions charged with the main task of terrorizing and killing whole populations had their shares of heros
a hero is someone that in the face of death is willing to sacrifice his safety or even his life for his brothers in arms or other people
even if you are fighting for the Most Rightful Thing Ever, against the Vilest, Most Evil Thing Ever, you might encounter an enemy that is a hero... on the "wrong" side
before we restarted a cycle of propagandized "just" wars, the matter was crystal clear to all combatants: we have our heros, our enemies have theirs
Sparta had heros while fighting Athens and their heros. Britain had heros while fighting France and their heros. Britain had heros while fighting the US and their heros. Spain had heros while fighting the US and their heros. France had heros while fighting Austria and their heros
the frigging Islamic State has heros. you don't have to like heros. just note their willingness to outmost sacrifice. at the end, a hero is someone who's brothers in arms consider him so, and remember him for that
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LOL. I usually ignore downvotes, but here it's frigging hilarious. The word "hero" seems to have become "white hat", in somebody's vocabulary
It odesnt happen very often at all. They kill far more civilians, many of them unarmed. A huge % of cops killed on the jobs are traffic fatalities. And guess what? Over half of them killed in traffic accident weren't wearing their FUCKING SEATBELTS, which they, of course, won't hesitate to pull you over and write you a ticket for the very same 'crime'. And, of course, if you resist them while you are being stopped for this non-crime, they will thorw you a beating and lok you in a cage.
Heh. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's. And render unto Darwin what is Darwin's. No tears shed here.
Consider this:
The two cops are plugged by Party X* to create martyrs. The accused perp, who was already in custody following his supposed murder of his girlfriend, is then plugged in a nearby subway using the same murder weapon (or his body is dumped there soon after execution elsewhere). A few witnesses are planted around the scene to support the official story and the NYPD/ militarisation advocates get a 'new Pearl Harbour' which, given 'authorities' response to the public outcry following the heavy-handed murder of various citizens, the NYPD have happily latched on to in defence of the ongoing militarisation of various .gov agencies and the further removal of civil liberties.
*Party X could be anybody FBi, CIA, military, NYPD, mercenary etc. employed to advance the agenda of TPTB.
Simple enough to achieve in practice.
Let's face it...it wouldn't be the first inside job perpetrated in New York in the past 13 years.
in general cops are not heroes, they are merely instruments of aggression of the state against the people.
some individual cops might be more heroic, others might be more psychopathic, but the general notion of policing is a problem; the idea that some people have the ability to enforce their will over others through threat of violence, even when those others are peaceful people who just want to keep to themselves and have nothing to do with the lawmakers or their laws.
would you prefer anarchy? Try Somalia.
what an ignorant comment.
i already live anarchy.
and i have no interest in somalia.