Who are the Heros?

 

Until a few days ago people thought sports figures were heros. People thought movie stars and other celebrities were heros. Now we really know better.

We saw the real heros of our world go into the World Trade buildings to help others get out, only to have it collapse on them. We are watching the real heros of our world digging at the rubble, risking their lives to help people that might still be trapped. We don't know for sure, and we may never know how many heros struggled with the terrorists in one aircraft, and prevented them from flying it into another target. In a smaller way, the real heros of our world are supporting the rescue efforts any way they can.

In a slightly different way, the real heros of our world wear the uniform of their country. Donning that uniform signifies a willingness to serve their fellow citizens. Sometimes that service involves armed combat with an enemy, and sometimes it involves shuffling paper at a desk. Now, death can come to each equally.

The least we can do in the face of such heroism is to respect the people and the uniform they wear. During my life, people have called the police terrible names and mocked them. People have called in a fire alarm and shot at the fire fighters as they arrived. Service people don't wear their uniforms in public. Yet it wasn't that long ago people were proud of the service they were doing, and people honoured them for doing it. We need to get back to that.

There are calls for retaliation and vengeance. I've seen people on tv saying that the US should do something, should bomb someone, even use nuclear weapons. The question is, upon whom? We simply don't know, and the public may never know. This has become a complex world. There will be no convenient solution to this crisis. People have to get out of the mentality of a tv program or a Hollywood movie where the bad guy gets caught, the good guy gets the girl and a medal, and everything is neatly wrapped up in under two hours. This is going to take years, and may well involve much more suffering and death. People willing to kill themselves to inflict harm on those they consider enemies are not easily stopped.

The United States and the people allied with them in the upcoming struggle against terrorism need to be sure of their targets. Sometimes that will mean the military leaders can't share with us how they got their information. Without giving them carte blanch, we need to trust that they are reporting to the appropriate civilian authorities, and that those authorities are exercising the appropriate oversight.

In the free and open society of the Western democracies it will be difficult to cope with some of the security changes that will happen. We will need to remember that those uniformed and plainclothed people are here to serve and protect us. They will have a difficult and dangerous job ahead of them; lets support them all we can.