Saturday, September 13, 2008

victims or heroes?

What do you call the murdered innocents of September 11th, 2001? Victims? Or heroes? I am not sure about the "hero" label. They were innocent and just doing their jobs. Their murderers were violent, hateful people, energized by a madman with a vendetta against jews and democracy and America and everything that isn't his brand of his religion. The murderers didn't know their victims, didn't engage in a battle, didn't give fair warning. So why are they heroes?

Did the press, or whomever referred to them first at heroes (Guliani) think that "victim" was too lame, too passive, not strong enough to incite the masses in fury and revenge?

In the end it probably doesn't matter, it is the label we have used for seven years and will continue to use. But I wonder. Just semantics? Or clever manipulation of words to wake us all up and remind us of those who fell in a battle they never had time to join.

1 comment:

frumcollegegirl said...

heroes are the firefighters and police officers who went into the building after it had been hit, knowing they might probably never get out.

heroes are those who went back to their office to help others in need. heroes are those who willingly gave their lives to save/fight for others

those were in the building and killed were victims.