I am SOOOOOOOO Disgusted

[crazymac]

Parade of the heroes, Beijing 2008!!

OK, they did well, but HEROES?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

They get a two hour TV show filmed in central London

Our returning troops get (If they are lucky) a local trip through the local town but often get abuse for being in the forces!!!

THESE ARE OUR HEROES, NOT THESE PEOPLE THAT CAN RUN, SWIM OR CYCLE A BIT FASTER. 

[Star]

Our returning troops get (If they are lucky) a local trip through the local town but often get abuse for being in the forces!!!

Sad but true.

Maybe that's why the Men and Women, past and present, in our Armed Forces are known as the unsung hero's, it's very rare for their individual achievements and sacrifices to become public knowledge.

[V8MoneyPit]

I completely agree. The use of the word 'hero' is used in the most inapropriate ways these days. Footballers are not heroes on the pitch. You even get heroic animals..... err, no you don't!

I don't want to take anything away from the achievements of our olympians, but they are not heroes in the true sense of the word.

[Thrasher]

They are simply "Olympians". Nothing more, nothing less.

[denviks]

what makes me more angry  ( i agree with above too ) is the news reporting that guy richie and madona and splitting up. then the second storey is the life of a solider was lost today in iraq....

which is the more important story???/

just shows the moral standings huh  :x :x :x :x

[Gordo]

I don't know where the blame rests with this. I live near Peterborough, where servicemen and women were banned from wearing their uniform in public after attacks on a RAF nurse's home.

At the other end of the scale you've the residents of Wooton Basset who, whatever the weather, turn out to honour the dead returning from Iraq and Afghanistan through RAF Lyneham.

We give far too much publicity to 'celebrities' and their tawdry lives, which are of no consequence to anything - except their own egos.

[generation-x]

agree totally not hero's in my eyes

but we did today have our local irish regiment walk through shrewsbury after a stint in afganistan

which is nice

simon

[littlepow]

It always reminds me of a poem from the Great War, unfortunately it still rings true today just as much as it did then.

Rudyard Kipling
  

Tommy
  I went into a public-'ouse to get a pint o'beer,
  The publican 'e up an' sez, "We serve no red-coats here."
  The girls be'ind the bar they laughed an' giggled fit to die,
  I outs into the street again an' to myself sez I:

O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away";
But it's ``Thank you, Mister Atkins,'' when the band begins to play,
The band begins to play, my boys, the band begins to play,
O it's ``Thank you, Mr. Atkins,'' when the band begins to play.

  I went into a theatre as sober as could be,
  They gave a drunk civilian room, but 'adn't none for me;
  They sent me to the gallery or round the music-'alls,
  But when it comes to fightin', Lord! they'll shove me in the stalls!

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, wait outside";
But it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide,
The troopship's on the tide, my boys, the troopship's on the tide,
O it's "Special train for Atkins" when the trooper's on the tide.

  Yes, makin' mock o' uniforms that guard you while you sleep
  Is cheaper than them uniforms, an' they're starvation cheap;
  An' hustlin' drunken soldiers when they're goin' large a bit
  Is five times better business than paradin' in full kit.

Then it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy how's yer soul?"
But it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll,
The drums begin to roll, my boys, the drums begin to roll,
O it's "Thin red line of 'eroes" when the drums begin to roll.

  We aren't no thin red 'eroes, nor we aren't no blackguards too,
  But single men in barricks, most remarkable like you;
  An' if sometimes our conduck isn't all your fancy paints:
  Why, single men in barricks don't grow into plaster saints;

While it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, fall be'ind,"
But it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind,
There's trouble in the wind, my boys, there's trouble in the wind,
O it's "Please to walk in front, sir," when there's trouble in the wind.

  You talk o' better food for us, an' schools, an' fires an' all:
  We'll wait for extry rations if you treat us rational.
  Don't mess about the cook-room slops, but prove it to our face
  The Widow's Uniform is not the soldier-man's disgrace.

For it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Chuck him out, the brute!"
But it's "Saviour of 'is country," when the guns begin to shoot;
An' it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' anything you please;
But Tommy ain't a bloomin' fool - you bet that Tommy sees!

[merlin617]

Our Son has recently returned from his second tour in Afghanistan and I would like to state here and now that his Mum and I could not be more proud of him and his mates who have been tasked with a difficult and to a large extent unapprieciated job.

Now I enjoyed watching some of the olympics on the tv and our athletes did very well and deserve to be praised. However from what I saw of the games, I don't recall anyone shooting at them.

As for Maddona and her husband. I couldn't give a flying fig if they are getting divorced, but as for there marital problems rating above the death of another member of our armed forces on the evening news. What sort of message does that send to our young servicemen and women about their value to the public in this country.

My son laughs this sort of thing off, but it makes my blood boil to think that my boys life is considered less newsworthy than what colour nail varnish Victoria Beckham is wearing.

That's it rant over. sorry about that, but it hits a real nerve with me.

[Disco Matt]

I read a comment about this a while ago which I agree with. The theory goes that the media ignoring the forces is because we no longer have conscription. During WW1 and WW2 everyone would have had a relation in the forces, and most men would have had some experience of it. Now people volunteer (which is as it should be to my mind - a volunteer is worth ten pressed men) the media types don't have any personal contact. I'd like to see a few of the writers from the celebrity industry do a tour as a war correspondent, it'd do wonders for their sense of perspective.

Plus there's the cynical/paranoid view that by loading the masses up with celebrity trash you can make them politically apathetic and easily controlled...

[datalas]

Plus there's the cynical/paranoid view that by loading the masses up with celebrity trash you can make them politically apathetic and easily controlled...

What's the burning point of paper again ?

Call me Monday :(

[discomummy]

Fahrenheit 451

regards

ela

[datalas]

considering how much we spent training people for the Olympics it's perhaps not surprising we did fairly well,  now contrast that with the amount of equipment our soldiers have in comparison to what they need...  makes me wonder if we have our priorities right.

[carracarra13]

The tradagic loss of another one of brave soldiers is bad enough, but it was reported almost like an after thought was discusting, my heart goes out to the families and friends of our brave lads and lasses who are in a war which shouldnt be in (imop) if you get what I mean,

 from an x parra to all

[crazymac]

The tradagic loss of another one of brave soldiers is bad enough, but it was reported almost like an after thought was discusting, my heart goes out to the families and friends of our brave lads and lasses who are in a war which shouldnt be in (imop) if you get what I mean,

 from an x parra to all

That is an important point though, what the troops are doing in the two main theatre's is their job, they don't choose where they go, so those small minded idiots that have a go at the troops for being there are out of order! Have a go at the politicians for them being there yes, but not the troops.

[Mareng]

its an unfortunate truth that the newspapers will print the stuff that sells, and the deaths of servicemen and women in an unpopular war are going to take a back seat to the 'celebs' of the day.

That said, the guys dont go out to the theater or war because they want some recognition when they get back, they go because it is what they signed up to do, they are all volunteers, as has been said.. 

The difference between the 'herois' olympians and the real heroes are apparentwhe you look at a couple of quotes that I've seen recently....

This morning in the Sun....Some female cyclist is quoted as saying

"now I can go on strictly" !!!!!

Pride of Britain awards last week, or whenever it was recently

Ms Vorderman asks a soldier who had used his body to shield his mates from a grenade blast how long he had been in hospital....

"I didn't go....We finished the patrol and I saw the medics when we got back to camp some 5 hours later"!!!!

(paraphrased as I forget exactly what was said)

sums it all up for me....


Cyclist...Not a 'heroe'
Soldier...Heroe!!!


Steve

(ex RLC)

[Lord Shagg-Pyle]

I get annoyed when I hear the word being used for the likes of David Beckham. I never realised that 'hero' meant egotistical, overpayed kicker of an inflated pigs bladder. :?

[carracarra13]

The tradagic loss of another one of brave soldiers is bad enough, but it was reported almost like an after thought was discusting, my heart goes out to the families and friends of our brave lads and lasses who are in a war which shouldnt be in (imop) if you get what I mean,

 from an x parra to all

That is an important point though, what the troops are doing in the two main theatre's is their job, they don't choose where they go, so those small minded idiots that have a go at the troops for being there are out of order! Have a go at the politicians for them being there yes, but not the troops.

     very true m8  you have said it all,