Heros

Why do we have so many heroes? Everyone seems to be a hero nowadays. Sports figures are "heroes" when all they do is play a sport well, even if their personal life is a disaster. Why isn't a CEO with an impeccable personal life a hero when he or she runs a company well. Why is a drug addict a hero for recovering from a life of drug use while a person who has never used drugs is not considered a hero? What happened to the days when heroes did heroic things?

Is a police officer or fire fighter a hero for saving a life? Is a father a hero for saving his child from a burning house? Is Jessica Lynch a hero for surviving a war? (Even she says she is a survivor, not an hero.) Is a soldier a hero for rescuing Jessica? I say "No!" These are people who have a job to do. They chose to do the job and they have a duty and a responsibility to perform their job, no matter how dangerous the job may be. It is their responsibility to put their lives in danger.

If a fireman refused to go into a burning house to save a person, he or she would be subject to disciplinary action and possibly, criminal action. The same holds true for police officers and military personnel. Soldiers are not heroes for surviving the injuries of war. They deserve medical care, they may be entitled to disability pay, and they should be thanked for doing their job well, if, in fact, they did their job well. Just because one is injured does not mean he or she did his or her job well.

I support the definition of an hero as set forth by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. The Carnegie Medal of Honor has been issued (sometimes with a cash ward) since 1904 to civilians who knowingly risk their own lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the life of another person. To receive the award, the act of rescue must be one in which no full measure of responsibility exists between the rescuer and the rescued. Persons NOT eligible for awards are:

• Those whose duties in following their regular vocations require them to perform such acts are not heroes, unless the rescues are clearly beyond the line of duty. (A regular citizen can watch a person drown without trying to rescue the person and not be civilly or criminally liable, but an on duty life guard may be sued or even charged for not attempting a rescue. A regular citizen may be a hero for saving a person from drowning, but an on duty life guard who saves the person is only doing his or her job.)
• Members of the immediate family are not heroes, except in cases of outstanding heroism where the rescuer loses his or her life or is severely injured. (Parents are required to risk their lives in protection of their minor children.)
• Members of the armed services are not heroes. (They have their own award system, as do police officers and fire fighters.)
• Children cannot be heroes because the Commission considers them to be too young to comprehend the risks involved.
• Persons who caused the problem that led to a rescue being necessary cannot be heroes. (One cannot intentionally set a house on fire and then be a hero for saving people inside the house)
• People who recklessly risk their lives, even if it is to help another, cannot be heroes. (A person who jumps off the Golden Gate Bridge to save another person who has just jumped is not a hero. He or she is an idiot.)

Does a true hero, milk his or her hero status for personal gain? Senators John McCain and John Kerry were awarded military hero status over 30 years ago, and they still use it in expectation of getting more votes because of it. What about the thousands of other military heroes who came home and lived their lives in anonymity? They didn't and still don't think they deserved special status because they were just doing their duty. Why do some politician heroes think they are unique and deserve to be rewarded year after year after year? .

Couple of Beers

If you drink, be careful about only having a couple of beers. Practically every person I have dealt with who was involved in an alcohol related crime, such as drunk driving, only had a couple of beers. Drunk drivers seldom say they had a lot to drink, so it must be the two beer level that causes people to drink and drive.
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Next Tax Bracket

Contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to get a pay raise that will put you into a higher tax bracket so that you will take home less pay than you did before the raise. Tax brackets are progressive. Your whole pay is not subject to the higher tax bracket, only the pay that is above the minimum amount taxed by that tax bracket.

I Do What I Have to Do

Ever notice how losers use the excuse "I just do what I have to do" when they are caught doing soemthing wrong. If they had done what they had to do, such as finishing school and being a productive member of society, then they wouldn't have to do the wrong things.

I'm Different

Ever notice how people who say they act like they do because they are "different" than everyone else seem to hang around with people who act just like them. They all dress alike, act alike, and think alike, such as some Harley motorcycle riders. So much for being different.

You Don't Know Me

When an idiot is judged on his or her speech, actions, or appearance, the classic retort is "You don't know me!" Well, just how else is someone supposed to know you except by what you say, what you do, and the way you dress? And, if you have been judged as someone people do not want to know by your speech, actions, or appearance, why would anyone want to know you?

No one can really "know" another person, especially when the person does not really even know him or herself. Watch the news, watch your neighborhood. People who do bad things say it was "not like them," that they do not usually do that sort of thing. Relatives of people who do bad things say that it was "out of character" that the bad doers are usually fine, upstanding citizens.

You will be judged by your speech, appearance, behavior, and actions. If you do not like the judgments people are making about you, then change your speech, appearance, behavior, and actions. If you are not willing to change, then stop making excuses by blaming others by saying "You don't know me!"

Dumb Questions

How may time have you heard "There is no such thing as a dumb question." There are many dumb questions. A dumb question is one which you already know the answer. You are just asking the question to see if the instructor knows the answer. A dumb question is one you would have known the answer to if you were paying attention in the first place. Listen to reporters at news conferences, they ask dumb questions all the time. They don't ask questions to seek an answer, but to foster their own agenda or to try to make the person say something wrong.

Asking for an Opinion

Don't ask for someone's opinion on something if you are going to argue with the opinion you receive. If you ask for my opinion on something , don't argue with me about the opinion. Accept it and then either use it or reject it. However, if I offer my unsolicited opinion, then you may argue with me about it. If you ask about whether you should do something and the answer does not agree with what you want to do, don't try to convince me you are right. That just means you were not seeking my opinion, but merely seeking validation of your own opinion. If you can't deal with the answer you may receive, then don't ask the question.

Punishing the Good

If you let people get away with doing things wrong, then you are punishing the people who are doing things right. If takes effort and sometimes sacrifice to do things right. It you let wrong doers escape punishment, then you are rewarding them for failure, which is an indirect punishment of those who do right. I'm not talking about crimes here, just the small everyday injustices that occur. For example, its raining at the shopping center. Most people do what is right and park in the parking lot and walk in the rain to the stores. However, some park in the loading zones in front of stores so they will not have to walk in the rain, which causes people who are doing things right have to walk around them. If store owners permit this, they are condoning the practice, which encourages the violators to do it again, and they are punishing the people who are doing what is right. When people are afraid to correct others for fear of confrontation, they are condoning improper behavior and punishing good behavior.

Excuse Me!

Some people think "Excuse me" gives them the right to interfere with your life. You are supposed to stop what you are doing and give your complete attention to them. Don't use "Excuse me!" as an order and continue, instead, use "Excuse me?" as a question and wait for an answer. Don't excuse the "Excuse me!" people who are always butting in, make them wait their turn in life.