What makes a hero? What is appropriate recognition for those we consider heroes? Is one man’s hero another man’s heel? Are heroes real, or do the flaws that all men share necessarily reduce our “heroes” to the mere mortal status all of us have at birth? Can the status of hero be earned through achievement, brave or selfless behavior, and sacrifice?
Mr. Atos challenged me on this via this Free Republic posting by llevrok. I have been able to verify the comments attributed to UW student leaders here on a resolution proposed by Andrew Everett…
"Jill Edwards questioned whether it was appropriate to honor a person who killed other people. She said she didn’t’ believe a member of the Marine Corps was an example of the sort of person UW wanted to produce."
"Ashley Miller commented that many monuments at UW already
commemorate rich white men."
"Karl Smith amended the first ‘whereas’ clause to strike the section “he was credited with destroying 26 enemy aircraft, tying the record for most aircraft destroyed by a pilot in American Uniform for which he was” and
leaving the reference to the Navy Cross. Seconded. Objection.
He said the resolution should commend Colonel Boyington’s service, not his killing of others."
"Deidre Lockman moved to strike the quote from President Roosevelt.
Seconded. Objection. She said the resolution focused more heavily on the negative aspects of war and should instead focus on more positive aspects such as the awarding of the Medal of Honor."
But it does raise the very good questions…what does it take to be a hero? Should such heroes be appropriately recognized? And lastly, should those who have heroically, and unselfishly served this nation be denied such recognition by ill-informed, under-read, self-centered, right consuming, non-serving, collegiate idioclones? (Idioclone – a person who himself intentionally clones himself after an idiot.) Or as Dueler prefers…Ideo-idioclone (Ideo-idioclone…an idioclone who consciously models himself after an ideological idiot).
Either way…those collegiate parrots, granted the luxury of their liberal views via their parent’s checkbooks, should at least read a bit of history before offering an illiterate opinion about a legitimate hero who has selflessly defended those who have earned the right to be called supreme idioclones.
From Merrian-Webster : he·ro
1 a: a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one that shows great courage
Anyone who has read about Colonel Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, knows that he did not measure up to each of the four possible definitions above. In fact, he gets only 2 of 4 by definition…letters b and d.
But he did volunteer to fly with Claire Chenault with the Flying Tigers in China…heavily outnumbered by the Japanese, and flying against vastly superior aircraft, in an effort to stop the Imperial Japanese Army from occupying all of Asia. He did, after his country was attacked, re-enter the Marine Corps, and achieved recognition as a superior aviator, by amassing over 25 kills in combat…he claimed 28, a number that is disputed in some circles, but a quintuple ace without question. And he spent 20 months in a Japanese prison camp. All of the above was in the defense of others, fighting for freedom, and serving his nation.
He certainly represented the Marine Corps well, and I suggest that there is plenty there for UW to be proud of. Honoring Colonel Boyington would certainly bring no harm to the school. Institutions can be legitimately be linked to the achievements of their alumni, lending both prestige and honor to the programs and processes that nurtured those traits within the most formative years of life.
Greg Boyington, was no angel, but I do think he qualifies as a hero in the truest sense. I think that those of us who couldn’t carry his helmet bag, should get out of the way of the efforts to recognize his heroic action. We should instead read up on his life and come to realize that those that serve for the greater good are all heroes and deserving of recognition, and not deserving of un-researched scorn by academic lightweights.
Perhaps it is best the UW not erect a memorial to Greg Boyington, for it seems it would be more a memorial to a bygone era at UW…a time where they could produce thinkers, freedom lovers, and yes, fighters. It may shame them to view such a memorial, in contrast to what they have on campus today…selfish, shameless brats, who pose as students, but are simply oxygen breathers who stare at books, lap up the drivel that passes for knowledge at today’s colleges, and pretend to get an education from liberal professors who have no idea what it takes to defend a nation, and at times, the free world.
Nice work, idioclones.
Michelle Malkin has more on thefamous Black Sheep and this idiotic controversy.
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