The Spurious Hero
- by Bob Miller
- Published on 6/5/08
- Article views: 384
The hero label is possibly the most ambiguous term in the English language. Recently I mentioned in a speech to some fellow Republicans that Thomas Edward Lawrence, Dian Fossey, and Paul David Wellstone were my heroes only to have the expressions of those in attendance change from being interested to being indifferent. And things quickly went from bad to worse as questions started arriving like flaming arrows.
'Wasn't this Lawrence an alcoholic and Arab lover?'
'Exactly what makes a person a hero who chooses to live with apes instead of humans?'
'Wellstone! You've got to be kidding. He was a Jew who voted against the invasion of Iraq.'
I waited until these people were satisfied they had set me straight as to who was and who wasn't a hero. Then I said, 'You've made it clear that you do not care from my heroes. Now let me make it clear that I don't care for one of your heroes.
'Guys like John McCain and I are not heroes. We flew into a country that wasn't attacking the United States and needlessly murdered innocent people. Case in point: Americans are now being treated better in Hanoi than they are in many U.S. cities. Furthermore, I suspect that I know McCain better than anyone in this building.
'While I was a patient at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, Senator McCain explained to me that the source of my anger was being abandoned by my fellow Americans after being shot down twice in Vietnam (quite a revelation). That he, too, was still mad as hell at Americans for leaving him to rot in a POW camp for years while they listened to psychedelic music, wore flowers in their hair, and partied (Guess I'm a hippie at heart because I thought these people were really neat. Love, not war, is a pretty good mindset in my opinion).'
I listened in disbelief as McCain informed me that he had to choose between dying or talking; and since Americans didn't give a damn about him, he didn't give a damn about them. He even confessed rather boldly being nicknamed 'Songbird' because of his willingness to tell his captors even more than they asked for. This is a flagrant violation of Article III of the United States Code of Military Conduct which states, If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and to aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
'While it was a difficult moment for me, I was pleased McCain had, unlike me, gotten it together after returning home. Frankly, I didn't believe the 'Songbird' story until many years later when I heard esteemed author Gore Vidal allude to it. In 2003 I started promoting McCain for president. But I was wrong; this guy is still filled with hate, and it's not the Iraqis, Iranians or North Koreans he hates.'
The last few sentences were heard only by the walls. It was not you Mr. Lawrence, Miss Fossey, and Mr. Wellstone, it was my timing. This is an election year and false pride flows like Iguazu Falls.
Author Bob Miller served as a pilot in Vietnam in 1968-69. He was shot down twice and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal. Miller, challenged Richard Shelby for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1992. Seven books authored, his bestsellers are: RV, and Kill Me If You Can. He produced the television show, The Late Show. Bob has traveled the world over as a golf instructor and golf ambassador and worked as the golf professional on Holland America’s ms Westerdam.
More Articles
-
-
-
» Latest articles
-
» Highest rated articles
- The Spurious Hero
The hero label is possibly the most ambiguous term in the English language. Recently I mentioned in a speech to some fellow Republicans that Thomas Edward Lawrence, Dian Fossey, and Paul David Wellstone were my heroes only to have the expressions of those in attendance change from being interested to being indifferent.
- Monaco Celebrates Prince Albert's First Year
As Prince Albert prepares to mark the first year of his succession to the Principality of Monaco, a local destination guide yourmonaco.com suggests that the second smallest country in the world is in safe hands and can look forward to years of progressive economic and social policies that extend well beyond the borders of Monaco.
- Monaco Celebrates Prince Albert's First Year
As Prince Albert prepares to mark the first year of his succession to the Principality of Monaco, a local destination guide yourmonaco.com suggests that the second smallest country in the world is in safe hands and can look forward to years of progressive economic and social policies that extend well beyond the borders of Monaco.
- The Spurious Hero
The hero label is possibly the most ambiguous term in the English language. Recently I mentioned in a speech to some fellow Republicans that Thomas Edward Lawrence, Dian Fossey, and Paul David Wellstone were my heroes only to have the expressions of those in attendance change from being interested to being indifferent.
- How to Straighten Out Your Tax Affairs in 2010
Utter the word 'taxes' in front of people and you are sure hear a loud groan. Frankly, there are valid reasons behind this response: First of all, paying your taxes annually can be a financial burden, especially with the economic hard times which we are going through these days.
- Benefits of Yoga - Redefining Life, Meditation and Exercise
Yoga is a complete exercise for the mind, body and soul and it can give a person a change to know himself in a new light. Regular practice of Yoga has been known to reduce stress, increase concentration and also benefit one's overall health.
- The Best Floral Perfumes
Floral perfumes are considered the best perfumes all over the world. In fact the history of perfumes says that floral perfumes are the first perfume category of the world and thus popular also. Floral perfumes represent the essence of love and romance.
- Coffee Gift Baskets
Even a Coffee Bean or San Francisco Coffee outlet frequenter will not be able to master the art of appreciating true gourmet coffee unless they know the history and information about gourmet coffee.
- Rent a car in Israel
If you are already in Israel and wish to rent a car, then you can make a booking and tell the service to pick you up from wherever you are. The best part about car rental in Israel is that they are extremely flexible.
- How to Straighten Out Your Tax Affairs in 2010
Utter the word 'taxes' in front of people and you are sure hear a loud groan. Frankly, there are valid reasons behind this response: First of all, paying your taxes annually can be a financial burden, especially with the economic hard times which we are going through these days.
- Ecommerce Checkout - Make Them Register
The world of ecommerce is expanding daily as more and more retailers take their business to the web in the hopes of attracting a percentage of those ever finicky web shoppers. As the amount of businesses open up ecommerce shops online, the amount of web development companies is also growing, offering ecommerce solutions for even the smallest of budgets. It is important that web developers understand the dynamics of the checkout process when discussing the options with the client.
- A History of Vintage Automobiles - From 1916 to 1924
Before cars were around, people usually traveled distances using horse-drawn carriages. But as early as 1335 several bright minds have been trying to come up with a 'horseless carriage'.
- 3 Rules to Follow in Your Logo Design
When designing your own logo or getting it done by logo design professionals, ensure the following three basic rules and you will have a great and memorable corporate identity.
- Top 10 SEO secrets
Today everyone wants to have better search engine result pages ranks. However only one can have the rank 1. Therefore you need to optimize constantly your websites and to have an edge over others you need to do something different and unique. Following are 10 rare tips/secrets which can help you get high search engine ranks.
