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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (12909)	5/3/2001 11:36:31 AM
From: The Philosopher	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

I thought of you when I saw that Shane Osborn, the spy plane pilot, was named as one of People's 50 most beautiful people. I was wondering if you have had any second thoughts about his failure to do the honorable thing and ditch the plane in the sea. Frankly, I don't have much interest in People's definitions of beautiful people, nor do I know what they judge it on. Somewhere, I forget where, there was either a posting or a column about the difference between heros and victims. Osborne and his crew were victims. But heros? Not by my definition. Heros are the people who volunarily go above and beyond, risking life or self-interest in the process. The soldiers who storm machine gun positions instead of retreating. Who fall on grenades to save their comrades. Who go to sea in tiny lifeboats to save sailors in peril. There's another definition of hero I don't use but some others do, of people who go through difficult lives or times uncomplainingly and cheerfully, thinking of others rather than themselves. Those who endure great suffering and still find time to give. Osborne and his crew were none of these. They were flying along and were hit by or hit another plane. Then they landed their plane in enemy territory and turned it over to enemy hands. (I know we're not at war with China, but they are still enemy in this respect.) I don't know what their orders were, so don't know whether they were following orders in landing in China, or whether their orders were to destroy the plane rather than let it fall into enemy hands, in which case they should be court martialed for not ditching. If landing in China were indeed their orders, then IMO the heroic thing to do would have been, realizing that not all the plane's secrets could be destroyed, to ditch it at sea and take their chances on survival or being picked up. The chose to save their lives, and give up state secrets of immense cost and considerable importance. Then they endured eleven days of capture in conditions nothing like as horrible as those that our soldiers in past wars have endured. Is that heroic? Or beautiful? Sorry, but not in my book. My son is in the air force. I hope he is never faced with that kind of situation. But if he is, I hope he will take the course that will make me proud of him.