It appears that four child-victims of a 1963 Alabama bombing by a so-called "White Supremacist" are about to be posthumously awarded the highest Congressional civilian award. Obviously no sane politician would ever vote against this award, but really, is this appropriate?
Such awards should be given to people who actually do something; does being a random victim qualify?
Such awards should be given rarely, and only for extraordinary public service or heroism. Neither applies here.
Predictably, the families of the awardees are of two minds. Two of them are on-board and thrilled, and the other two families want MONEY!
GMAFB.
heroism?
Re: heroism?
May we have a URL?
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: heroism?
Par for the course--from the Washington Post (2011):
Fallen heroes bill honors 9/11 victims
By Lisa Rein,December 27, 2011
As the House and Senate bickered over year-end payroll tax relief and jobless benefits, a new tribute to the nearly 3,000 men and women who died in the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, moved quietly through Congress.
The Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent; the House vote was 416 to 0. President Obama signed the bill Dec. 23.
The legislation commissions the U.S. Treasury to design and strike three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the civilians, public safety workers, airline passengers and crew members killed at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the passengers and crew members of Flight 93, which crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa.
Now the article doesn't call them "heroes", but the headline does. not sure what the actual bill said.
Fallen heroes bill honors 9/11 victims
By Lisa Rein,December 27, 2011
As the House and Senate bickered over year-end payroll tax relief and jobless benefits, a new tribute to the nearly 3,000 men and women who died in the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, moved quietly through Congress.
The Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent; the House vote was 416 to 0. President Obama signed the bill Dec. 23.
The legislation commissions the U.S. Treasury to design and strike three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the civilians, public safety workers, airline passengers and crew members killed at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and the passengers and crew members of Flight 93, which crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pa.
Now the article doesn't call them "heroes", but the headline does. not sure what the actual bill said.
Re: heroism?
What does that have to do with this?
I might be running a bit slow today.heroism?
by dgs49 » Fri May 10, 2013 9:07 am
It appears that four child-victims of a 1963 Alabama bombing by a so-called "White Supremacist" are about to be posthumously awarded the highest Congressional civilian award.
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: heroism?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nati ... s/2110855/
The Senate also is expected to approve the legislation honoring the four girls, whose deaths became a defining moment of the civil rights movement.
The murders shocked the country and prompted Congress to enact civil rights legislation.
Bachus and Sewell said it has taken 50 years to fully appreciate what the girls' murders meant to the history of the country and the world, and the value of non-violent protest to affect social change.
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: heroism?
Those four girls dying doesn't meet the definition of Heroism. Congress could have come up with something more appropriate, in my opinion.
But I suppose if it makes everybody feel good, it's a good thing.
But I suppose if it makes everybody feel good, it's a good thing.
Re: heroism?
Martyrism?
I dunno, eathing a fat slice of chocolate cake makes everyone feel good, does it not?
I dunno, eathing a fat slice of chocolate cake makes everyone feel good, does it not?
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: heroism?
Heroism is not a necessary qualification for issuance of this medal.It is awarded to persons "who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient's field long after the achievement."
After searching further, neither is citizenship in the US...
Here
Since the American Revolution, Congress has commissioned gold medals as its highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions. The medal was first awarded in 1776 by the Second Continental Congress to General George Washington. Although the first recipients were military figures who participated in the American Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, Congress broadened the scope of the medal to include actors, authors, entertainers, musicians, pioneers in aeronautics and space, explorers, lifesavers, notables in science and medicine, athletes, humanitarians, public servants, and foreign recipients. The medal normally is awarded to persons, but in 1979 the American Red Cross became the only organization to be honored with a gold medal.
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: heroism?
I was distracted by the title of this thread, thinking this was a medal given solely for heroism.
Still, I wouldn't interpret being killed by a terrorist bomb to be performing an achievement.
There should be another alternative that is more realistic.
Still, I wouldn't interpret being killed by a terrorist bomb to be performing an achievement.
There should be another alternative that is more realistic.
Re: heroism?
It doesn't sound like much of an achievement or contribution either
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: heroism?
I guess the achievement was that it preciptated civil rights legislation, 4 adults maybe not.
It was for the children...
It was for the children...
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: heroism?
I guess ya'll could let yer respective legslators know this...Crackpot wrote:It doesn't sound like much of an achievement or contribution either
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: heroism?
I don't have a complaint about the act only the description
Okay... There's all kinds of things wrong with what you just said.
Re: heroism?
Doctors pass out suckers politicians pass out medals...
Sometimes it seems as though one has to cross the line just to figger out where it is
Re: heroism?
Surely a plaque marking the spot and their names would be more apt?
Here's one from my home town.
Here's one from my home town.
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”
Re: heroism?
"Heroism" is a complicated idea. Most of the time we think it has to include some understanding of the risk being taken and perhaps what is at stake. On those grounds we can't say they were 'heroic' because they were children and did not likely understand the place in history their short lives inhabited. And they made no overt choice which put their own lives at risk and on behalf of others; they lived the lives of children.
But on the other hand just to be a black child in a state where all the white"christian" churches in 500 miles would see you dead and dismembered rather than have your parents vote or send you to school with their children put them in a position of personal sacrifice. And it is so often true that the hero cannot choose not to pay the price.
I'd give it to them. The people who murdered them were monsters.
yrs,
rubato
But on the other hand just to be a black child in a state where all the white"christian" churches in 500 miles would see you dead and dismembered rather than have your parents vote or send you to school with their children put them in a position of personal sacrifice. And it is so often true that the hero cannot choose not to pay the price.
I'd give it to them. The people who murdered them were monsters.
yrs,
rubato
Re: heroism?
WHAT A LOAD OF UNDAULTERATED BULL SEMEN! 
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato
Re: heroism?
Spoken like a true conservative.
yrs,
rubato
yrs,
rubato
Re: heroism?
Are you getting hammered again, it is Saturday afternoon.
Your collective inability to acknowledge this obvious truth makes you all look like fools.
yrs,
rubato