Comments on: Andy On Heroism

Andy Rooney Explains Why Most Heroes Are Unlikely

[revfrhoy]

I like Andy Rooney, but his remarks on heroism miss the mark. Three local heroes come to mind:
Miriam Reel, who just passed away at age 89 who founded Friendship Ministries many years ago. She enabled low income persons to achieve a better life through their own efforts and abilities.

Rob Kerney who is blind. He founded a ministry called Blind Faith to help religious organizations to work with visually challenged persons. In addition to this he is President and the leader in setting up a local non-profit that will enable persons with disabilites to live independently.

Then again, in downtown Evansville, Indiana where I live there is a wonderful piece of sculpture. A Schriner is carrying a small child with a physical disability. It is aptly titled, "Editorial Without Words."

[ramboxxxxx]

I disagree with putting CPT Sully in the same rank as real heroes. Today everyone that does good is quickly labeled a hero. A hero is a person who risks his/her life to save others. Did CPT Sully risk his life? He did his job and saved his own life, I am not saying he does not deserve to be honored, but not as a hero. I am sure he will agree.

[SmrWine69]

Mr. Rooney, I faithfully watch your commentaries, and I want to tell you that I do admire you tremendously. However, I am complete disagreement with you when you ask Where Have All Our Heroes Gone, and specifically your comment, "...I guess people don't have the opportunity to be heroic in peace...."

My brother and several of my friends are police officers. Others in my family have served in the military, been fire fighters, 911 dispatchers, and other emergency services. These are our UNSUNG heroes. They have thankless, dangerous jobs and no one recognizes them unless there's a major catastrophe.

Further, EVERY SINGLE DAY I see awesome heroism in "ordinary people" in our country: the woman who grabs a child's arm before she steps into the street in front of a car; a pastor kneeling visiting his parishioners who can't get out to attend church; my best friend taking the high road with her manic, crazed ex-husband and stiill somehow finding a way to allow him to (undeservedly, I might add) see his children. I see groundskeepers, custodial workers, construction workers, truck drivers, lawn-mowing teenagers, ELDERLY folks---all of whom are heroes.

I suppose you, like many others, consider the Korean WAR to be the Korean CONFLICT. My father served in the Korean War. He is my biggest hero.

Taking the high road, doing what's right even though it's not what's easiest, caring enough to try to make our country better -- even in the smallest of ways -- is more heroism than I see in many of our nation's leaders, television personalities, and news broadcasters.

What heroic act did YOU perform TODAY?

Respectfully,
Janice Faurie
Canyon Lake, TX

Mr. Rooney, why must we suggest that soldiers are only "heroes" when they perform extraordinary feats while under fire? (And then, offer that credit somewhat reluctantly?) I believe you'd expand your definition, if you read "Afghan Journal - A Soldier's Year in Afghanistan" by Jeffrey Courter.

Indeed, the fact that today's soldiers actually VOLUNTEER to leave their families behind for months on end, and constantly risk their lives under the most onerous circumstances - all in the name of protecting our right to debate about the relative merits of "heroic" acts, is enough for me to give all of our soldiers the benefit of the doubt.

Soldiers lead by example, Mr. Rooney.

[rushlimpdrug]

"We don't have many heroes these days because there isn't much opportunity to be a hero and most people aren't usually heroic anyway."


Gee, how soon we forget about 9/11

[pdchapin]

Heroism is not about the choice to sacrifice oneself for others. Heroism is the courage to stand up and do the right thing, no matter how difficult the task or threatening the opposition. That is why Captain Sully is honored. That is why anyone who stands up against the bad, the corrupt and the threatening and takes the right actions is heroic, whether celebrated or not.

-------
Your logic is flawed. In doing the right thing "no matter how .. threatening the opposition" then you are talking about somebody willing to run a risk for the greater good, which is pretty much how Andy defines it. Heroism is accepting personal risk for someone else's good. The more risk and the less it personally benefits you the more heroic.

While I admire Scully's skill, I wouldn't call it heroic. He was as busy saving his own life as anybody else's. He would have done the same thing if nobody had been on board. If he could have put the plane in the river nose high and increased his chance of survival as the expense of the passengers, a decision not to do so would have been heroic. However, aircraft landings are usually an all or nothing kind of thing.

[iamboots1]

At least Andy didn't mention the collaborator John McCain as a "war hero".

[jmjbof]

andy, i left you the story of terry calandra. from all of these comments, you have received a lot of flack. you , in your commentary dismissed literally thousands of real life heros per your viewers. please , don't you of cbs be the next ones to dismiss the act of herosim performed by this man. i can connect you to his friend who has collected all the verifiable info to do a story or a commentary on terry and hopefully sens spector and casey might see a photo op in their future by jumping on a live terry caladra bandwagon.

[atlasshrugg1]

Upon listening to Mr. Rooney's remarks, I wondered: Why is Mr. Rooney's idea of the hero focused only on destruction? And why is Mr. Rooney's definition of a hero founded on self-sacrifice? The first question answers the second. If one holds the altruist morality that one should live/die for others, one's idea of the heroic will follow suit.

But on a realistic view of the heroic, one can readily see numerous instances of heroism in our culture, past and present. The heroic refers to actions that are exceptional in their current and long-term beneficial consequences. So, one thinks first and foremost of those who have extended and amplified our knowledge and enjoyment of life, such as novelist/philosopher Ayn Rand and philosopher Leonard Peikoff, scientists such as Thomas Edison and Jonas Salk, businessmen such as John Allison, Yarron Brook and Fred Smith, statesmen such as Thomas Jefferson, and so forth.

Heroism is not about the choice to sacrifice oneself for others. Heroism is the courage to stand up and do the right thing, no matter how difficult the task or threatening the opposition. That is why Captain Sully is honored. That is why anyone who stands up against the bad, the corrupt and the threatening and takes the right actions is heroic, whether celebrated or not.

Sincerely,
Sylvia Bokor

[hagar39]

I think we still have hero's. What we might not have are great reporters.
Two of my biggest hero's? Firefighters, and people in the Coast Guard who save lives.
War? WWII was different from all other wars the USA has fought. WW II we were defending the USA. The other wars, battles, conflicts, invasions, etc. were not the same. I'm not going to get into a bebate why. I think most people will know. Want hero's? Read some of the small daily newspapers on line.