Cross about over use of the word heroic

I think so Glass!

Think they have been following our threads too jingle

look The BBC has a go at this now.

Back to Matt! He raised over a million for Children in Need.

And looked really hunky on tonight's show. [letch emoticon]

Nothing on GN gets consigned to any Room 101.

Gracesmum - I know! I felt so sorry for that poor old jangly woman!

Whoever she was.

I have read through this thread for the first time and was very surprised by the heat generated and the negative comments- I hope this is all in the past now and in a way I apologise if I have resurrected it by posting.
Do we have a facility for deleting a thread when it outlived its purpose? If I had either been at the receiving end or indeed the pointy end of some of the things said, I would want them consigned to GN Room 101.

I haven't read all 5 pages so maybe someone else has quoted Napoleon who said not every soldier is a hero. Doing a dangerous job out of free choice (whether soldier or builder) does not make anyone a hero.

Heroism isnt just risking your life. There are moral heroes as well, People who risk ostracism and imprisonment for their principles. For example, Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi.

Yes! Bless him, he did so well.

Yes he is!!!

Matt (The One Show) is another Hero, isn't he?

Thanks for your kind words JessM. You too Jacey, you have stated so much more clearly what I was trying to say.

So agree with heroic being ... "those who bravely risk their own lives to aid others" ...well said littlemo.
Have nothing but praise for those who raise money for charities ...but they are not risking themselves, however challenging their chosen activity ...it is well-planned ahead of time ...not an immediate response to a given situation.

nice post littlemo

In reply to the original post, I agree that the words 'hero' and 'heroic' are often overused. I especially dislike it when applied to those who are bravely dealing with serious health conditions. While I greatly admire their perseverance and the many who maintain a positive outlook in the face of much suffering, I think that to be a true hero must there must be an element of choice eg. firemen or soldiers or those who bravely risk their own lives to aid others. People who are ill have no choice but to fight their condition or perhaps bear it bravely, both of which earn my respect and sympathy.
My daughter is a nurse in intensive care and although I believe she and her colleagues are dedicated and are doing a wonderful job, often above and beyond the call of duty, they are not 'heroes' as the press has at times described them.
There are many more suitable adjectives. The word hero has such a special meaning that it should not be downgraded by applying it unnecesseraly to those who have not really earned it.
People who raise money for charity have my admiration no matter how they do it.

The year after my daughter in law died, my son and his friends decided to raise funds for the hospice where she had spent her last weeks, and for an additional charity nominated by the friends. They held a charity auction and then walked the whole 186 miles of the Pembrokeshire coast path in a week, which is something of a feat - it is a tough walk - but they were fit young servicemen. They raised a considerable amount of money and all felt as if they had done something worthwhile in memory of people they had lost. I think it is something that many people who are bereaved feel the need to do and I applaud it. When Jane Tomlinson from Leeds died, her husband and family went on to raise thousands and thousands of pounds for charity in her memory and are still doing so. It keeps her memory alive. All credit to your daughter GrannyA....

The whole issue of sponsored fund raising is a bit fraught with contradictions. In the case of celebrities, while it raises their profile (benefits them), it also tends to bring in the big bucks (benefits the charity). If it's part of a huge national fund-raising campaign, eg Red Nose Day, it also encourages many others to raise money. If it's individuals, while responding to a challenge such as running a marathon provides a sense of personal achievement, it also raises money for the charity and has a cementing role, as it were, in society. On balance, I would say there is more in favour than against sponsored fund raising.

Both of my boy's have done a lot of charity walk's, climb's, and white water rafting event's one did the Great Wall of China,with all of them they had to pay a set fee to part-take in the event's before they where entered into the event,they also then had sponsorship from people they knew and companie's they had approached,as your DD enjoyed the events she took part in GA so did my boy's but it is alway's a win win for the charity concerned.

A few years ago my husband and I were on holiday in Peru and got into conversation with a couple who were taking part in a 'Walk the Inca Trail' charity event for Scope. They had had to raise a minimum of £1500 each and then get sponsored on top of that. Their total stay was five days - DH and I were there for a fortnight, stayed in good hotels, saw probably more of Machu Pichu than they did and paid a damn sight less!! No wonder this type of fund raising is so popular.

Wise move, Charlotta.

I think I must apologise to grannyactivist for upsetting her about her daughter. I got carried away because I so dislike these sort of actions for publicity which are then taken up by the media and called acts of heroism worthy of our respect and admiration.
Of course if the young widow feels it necessary to undergo such a torment and it helps her deal with her grief then that is how it is and I'll bow out of this thread before I do anymore damage.

Don't want to kill this thread by making it all about my situation, so I'd like to pick up Baggys point about the 'corporate creep' of charities. What do others think of this? And the whole 'sponsor me' approach to people who are doing something they want to do anyway? I'm thinking of elder daughter who walked the Yangtse River and had to contribute over £2000, plus raise sponsorship - but was honest enough to say that she was doing some good whilst pleasing herself. Any thoughts?

The coping with grief and the whole mourning process ...is an individual journey ...we share places along the way ...but have to find our own route and undertake it in our own time.
Well done Grannyactivist for being there for your daughter ...but she will eventually find her own way through the darkest of times ...just as you will with your mourning for his loss.
Do not forget that you are mourning too ... for the loss of a life taken too soon. Be a little kinder on yourself! xhugx