Another short thought on the "Hero Narrative"

Getting up this morning, I realized: "Durr, there's another whole reason - probably the most important reason - you hate the narrative of "People who Save Things are Heroes."

They never mention the people I would ACTUALLY regard as heroes:

Soldiers, sailors, Marines, pilots - who go into harm's way to defend our freedoms and way of life, and to liberate countries that need liberating.

Battlefield medics who will treat anyone, friend, civilian, even foe, if they're injured

Firefighters

Police officers.

Somehow, the people who want to write up some guy who goes and lobbies on behalf of the sandhill crane as a hero, but they don't think about these individuals. The people who actually face danger as part of their daily jobs. (Oh, granted, I suppose some teachers do, but somehow, that seems different. And I admit, sometimes in my more cantankerous moods, I think, "If a city school is that dangerous, they should just close it down. Tell the kids and the families, "Sorry, you don't get an education. If you're willing to welcome the cops coming in and arresting and dragging off all the gang members, if you're willing to actually point out and testify against gang members, fine." But people who go around acting as if the folks who would like to keep some semblance of law and order are the enemies, and that it's preferable to let your kids join gangs....forget it. I suppose there'd also have to be some kind of evacuation program for families who really don't want a part of that life, but are stuck living where they are, I don't know.)