I have noticed a very disturbing trend and I am sure others have noticed it too. All of a sudden every time a fireman dies in the line of duty, he is immediately hailed as a “hero.”  I don’t want to appear in sensitive, but it strikes me that when they made the choice to persue this line of work they were aware of the risks involved, one of which is that when yu are dealing with fire you could die, What I don’t quite understand is when the worst happens, how is it that they are immediately considered heros?

For example. last week, a firefighter from Peabody Mass. died and whe the story was reported two things were immediately obvious.  By his picture it was quite plain to see he was 80 to 100 Lbs overweigt, and the initial eport was that he collapsed almost immediately upon entering the building.  Curiously as days went by, all of a sudden he was overcome by smoke, but he didn’t rescue anyone- didn’t put  the fire out and no one was in the burning building- but now he was being hailed as a hero.  His funeral service became the top story on the news, firefighters came from miles around etc.

Correct me if I am wrong but what happened was a guy who chose this proffession collapsed, most likely of a heart attack because he was so grossly overweight- but because he did it at the scene of a fire he attained immediate hero status. I don’t think that is right.

Personally I think we to freely toss that “Hero,” moniker around in much the same way as we give standing ovations out way too frequently as well.  Just because someone decides to become a firefighter or a police officer and they die in the procedd of performing their job- shouldn’t immediatley qualify them as heros.

As sad as 9/11 was I find it hard to consider the mebers of the ubiquitous “FDNY.” heros.  Many of them gave people inaccurate deadly advice to go back into the building - to their death, and the fact they happened to be there when the buildings fell on them, while tragic and sad was not exactly heroism. They were there doing their jos, and in my mind when you have a job like that every time you leave your house for work could be you last time anyone sees you- goes wth the territory-and agian it is a job they freely chose to do.