Oh, hullo bandwagon (We could be heroes, just for one day)

Death happens. It has casualties and people will suffer. That's just life. Nothing can be done. Any bickering is essentially meaningless.

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Anyway, a far more intellectually stimulating line of thought is what is a hero? Can actions or beliefs stop you from being a hero? Are heroes a media manifestation? Where is the line drawn?

For me, hero is a overused word. It's why I prefer Muse (not the band). If your hero is your inspiration, I think it's your Muse. But then again, I'm a Greek fangirl and Greek Heroes do not equal Muses. After all, a Muse is a catalyst for the creative soul, for motivation. A hero shows courage in action or belief. Martin Luther King is a hero. I suppose then, hero becomes a politicised and biased term. Can you really call anyone who would risk everything for a cause they believe in a hero? The problem there is it would imply that soldiers on both sides of any given war are heroes since they are putting their lives on the line. That's when heroes become troubled - a hero can only be a hero when it's socially accepted in certain spheres. Whilst I would universially recognise that the vast majority of people in the healthcare profession are heroes, can you consider the same of pharmacetical manufacturers? Or private insurers? I don't think so. Can a terrorist be a hero? I suppose V for Vendetta would argue so.

Oh, and for anyone who might be wondering - I don't support the war in Afganistan (or any related scuffles) and I don't support the troops either. I know that's an unpopular opinion but the war to me is morally bankrupt and a logical fallacy. The soldiers mean very little to me - they may claim to fight for my freedom but at what cost? But that's a whole other debate so if you wish to chat about my war views, please don't fill up my journal about that sole point. PM me, I'm happy to talk about it.

Anyway, to my next point. Whatever strikes you to have a hero (Muse) then I don't think they're other actions automatically determine whether they are a good hero or not. Look at Winston Churchill. A fine bloke, voted one of the best British people ever, and he was usually drunk as a skunk every day and kicked out of school for taking heroin!

I do think the media can paint people to be Muses in the wrong way. Two examples:

Katie Price is a "glamour model" (she gets her boobies out and gets paid for it.). To some she might be a hero but it's a media circus. Her actions can only inspire the idiot savant to become shallow. But then again, I suppose a reality TV show about someone like Salman Rushdie or Steven Hawking wouldn't be as interesting to the easily amused people who like her.

Second example: serial killers and gunmen. The media paint these people - by the way they report the news - to be anti-heroes. There's a great bit by Charlie Brooker on the internet somewhere about it so I won't repeat here since I'll just make a hash of it.

Anyway, heroes exist. They're just very very rare. Most of what we call heroes are Muses. I like Muses. I have three: Charlie Brooker, David Tennant and my girlfriend Annie.

So, discuss...hopefully.