Sit-In on the floor of the House of Representatives

I am not as cynical as you are, even re people on different sides than mine - they get to have their opinions. I admit to a giant dollop of caution.

Of course it does. In is only the fact that their fans cheered makes it heroic. Heroic is subjective. Something is heroic if a large enough population says it is heroic.

There is no action that is considered heroic by everyone.

Nothing is heroic unless it is cheered.

When they can vote against their own conscience, it tells me more than I need to know. Countries fail when the leadership government follows in lock step when it's obvious their principles have been marginalized.

You don't understand the definition of heroic

It's not about being cheered.

No it is standing up for what you believe in knowing ahead of time the steep hill you have to climb before you get there. The NRA has a lock on congress, but those democrats are fighting them because they believe getting military style weapons out of the hands of civilians is a good step in protecting victims from future mass shootings.

Please enlighten me then Finn. Heroes aren't heroes until there is someone to glorify them.

What's the point of being heroic if you are not cheered?

No it's not.

Fundamental to heroism is the very good chance, if not likelihood, that the hero will suffer, and gravely, as a result of his or efforts.

There was virtually no chance, what-so-ever, that these Dems might suffer from their stunt (Good Lord they had the "sit-in" catered!). Rather they all believed they would benefit from it.

John Lewis was a true hero of the Civil Rights Movement.

I would be deeply disappointed if he accepted the mantle of hero for this political stunt.

Again, you demonstrate your lack of understanding of the concept.

Did MLK risk his life to advance the civil rights or African-Americans so he could be cheered?

Good grief. If anyone engages in supposed heroism "because they want to be cheered" then they are NOT a hero.

Heroes do good deeds in the face of adversity because they think it is important to do the good deed in question.

Those kooks who broke the rules in the House were not trying to do a good deed (they were trying to violate people's civil rights) and they were unfortunately not facing any adversity for their actions.

Read the dictionary Finn. The reason that MLK gave his life has nothing to do with whether he was a hero or not.

I am a bit curious... do you consider the real MLK a hero?

I read it and quite a few other references.

MLK was a hero because he was prepared to sacrifice much if not all for the goal he chose to advance.

He wasn't a hero because he was cheered.

And whether or not he wanted to be considered a hero had nothing to do with the fact that he was one.

You still miss the concept of heroics.

There are a lot of people who were prepared to sacrifice everything for their goal-- the 9/11 hijackers for example. I don't consider them heroic.

I think you are missing the concept of heroics. Sacrificing everything for a cause isn't it.

No, you are because you insist on a childish, Romantic definition of the term: "A hero is someone I'm proud of!"

If the 9/11 Hijackers truly believed their sacrifice was for the greater good of some much larger group, their actions were heroic.

You may not consider them heroic, but I guarantee there are millions throughout the world with a different world view than you who think they were.

I don't consider them heroic either because I question their motivation, not because they didn't like me or Americans, but I'm prepared to accept that some might consider them heroes.

You want to make the term personal so that whatever you or your friends think is heroic, makes it so. This is the childish version that leads to "The Lone Ranger is my hero!"

The concept is defined and without relativism.

The hero accomplishes extraordinary things to advance a goal larger than his or her interests with the full understanding of the likelihood he or she will suffer as a result.

There is nothing in this concept that requires the adulation and cheers of small children and vapid partisans.

I daresay many of humanities true heroes have been lost to history.



But being cheered is?

Yep!

OK, now I am curious. The 9/11 hijackers knew that they were giving up their lives. What do you think was their motivation?

The 9/11 hijackers were trying to harm people.

Just like those clowns who threw this tantrum on the floor of the house only wanted to hurt people.

Correct that such people are not heroes.

Oralloy,

Please tell me who your greatest hero is?

(I would also like to know who was hurt by the sit in.... but we will leave that bit of silliness for later).

The problem Edgar is that too many democrats are liberal in name only, but conservative opinion.

Sorry Osso, I have to agree with CI. Most of the congressmen vote the way big money tells them to vote.

I wouldent call them heros, but damn smart politicians who gave the conservatives a black eye on the matter of military weapons in the hands of nuts.