Heroes

Joe Kenda and I are both bugged by the same thing.  And it has been in the news a lot more lately since this pandemic panic started.  Joe and I both think that the word hero is vastly overused.

I suppose, technically, a hero can merely mean someone you admire.  But to me, a hero is someone who stands out above everyone else because of their bravery, selflessness, conviction, integrity, and service to humanity.

Heroes can be personal such as your mom or dad.  Or heroes can be universal such as martyrs like William Tyndale, Joseph Smith, or Abinadi.

Heroes are not ordinary people doing their jobs.  Yet so many ordinary people are labeled as heroes for doing their everyday job.  It's crazy.

People who are merely doing a job, which they have chosen as a career, and are getting paid for their services, are not heroes.  I'm getting tired of hearing people say that health care workers, grocery store workers, delivery people, first responders such as law enforcement, firefighters, EMT etc. are heroes for merely doing their job.

Doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers know that their chosen career path will expose them to sick people. Law-enforcement officers know that their chosen career path will expose them to bad guys who may want to hurt them.  Just because you may have chosen a career that may be more dangerous or risky doesn't make you a hero.

Those who go above and beyond the call of duty may be heroes but ordinary every day people who go to work and do their job are not heroes.

So let's quit labeling everyone a hero who is merely doing a job, which they have chosen, and are getting paid to do.

It cheapens the honor paid to real heroes.

That's my two cents.