presenting the most courageous person in America

S

SmarterthanYou

rebel
Miss Elizabeth Smart.
20080826_smart2_350x263.jpg


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,558548,00.html

for having the strength to confront and testify against the beast who raped her for 9 months.

:flagsal:
 
blackascoal said:
Although I celebrate her escape and courage to testify against the monster who abducted her .. there are far more courageous people in America risking their lives everyday here and in our made-up wars.
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I give this title with all of that in mind. I have to consider her age when she was abducted and the 9 months of hell that went along with it when attributing her courage and strength to not only survive, but to recover like she has.
 
SmarterThanYou said:
I give this title with all of that in mind. I have to consider her age when she was abducted and the 9 months of hell that went along with it when attributing her courage and strength to not only survive, but to recover like she has.
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Don't get me wrong my friend .. I SERIOUSLY applaud her and it's terrible what she had to go through.

I may be a bit biased given that I have a daughter in the military who has already been through two tours in IRaq .. and scheduled to go back in December .. and I've been through two tours of nightmares and scheduled for more come December.

Pardon my bias.
 
blackascoal said:
Don't get me wrong my friend .. I SERIOUSLY applaud her and it's terrible what she had to go through.

I may be a bit biased given that I have a daughter in the military who has already been through two tours in IRaq .. and scheduled to go back in December .. and I've been through two tours of nightmares and scheduled for more come December.

Pardon my bias.
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completely understood considering I also served. kudos and much respect both to you and your daughter. may you both come home victorious and in one piece.
 
There isn't really a need to determine the "most" courageous but I think we can agree those fighting overseas and Elizabeth Smart all rank at the top of the list.
 
cawacko said:
There isn't really a need to determine the "most" courageous but I think we can agree those fighting overseas and Elizabeth Smart all rank at the top of the list.
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Is it courageous to join a system in which you simply do as you are told? Whatever the circumstances it takes more courage to say 'No' than to blindly follow. Of course there are soldiers, sailors and airmen who are extremely courageous but, as with any other section of society, there are cowards and there are heroes.
I'm sorry but the statement, 'He/she/I/you served one/two/three tours of duty is pretty meaningless in the 'courage' stakes.
'I was captured and refused to tell my captors under threats and torture.' is pretty courageous.
Not wishing to offend.
 
Lowaicue said:
Is it courageous to join a system in which you simply do as you are told? Whatever the circumstances it takes more courage to say 'No' than to blindly follow. Of course there are soldiers, sailors and airmen who are extremely courageous but, as with any other section of society, there are cowards and there are heroes.
I'm sorry but the statement, 'He/she/I/you served one/two/three tours of duty is pretty meaningless in the 'courage' stakes.
'I was captured and refused to tell my captors under threats and torture.' is pretty courageous.
Not wishing to offend.
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I disagree with you. Anyone is the military today is there because they voluntarily joined.

I cannot think of any other career which tells you that you may die doing your job. And that you dying may actually be expected of you.

Yes, they are required to blindly follow orders (within reason). But that is the nature of the system. And that system is what it is because of what they do.

Free choice is great when you are talking about stocking grocery shelves, teaching school, or selling stocks. But when the job involves facing enemy fire, "free choice" is not an option. Who in their right mind would choose to face enemy fire? But by maintaining the integrity of the unit, casualties are kept lower.

It takes great courage to sign up for a job that pays less than almost any other and in which you can expect to face significant dangers.
 
WinterBorn said:
I disagree with you. Anyone is the military today is there because they voluntarily joined.

I cannot think of any other career which tells you that you may die doing your job. And that you dying may actually be expected of you.

Yes, they are required to blindly follow orders (within reason). But that is the nature of the system. And that system is what it is because of what they do.

Free choice is great when you are talking about stocking grocery shelves, teaching school, or selling stocks. But when the job involves facing enemy fire, "free choice" is not an option. Who in their right mind would choose to face enemy fire? But by maintaining the integrity of the unit, casualties are kept lower.

It takes great courage to sign up for a job that pays less than almost any other and in which you can expect to face significant dangers.
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With respect there are several careers for which members must show extreme courage. Firemen, Lifeboat crews, Miners, steeplejacks, and many more.
Of course there are courageous soldiers but my point is that it does not necessarily follow that service equals courage.
I, for a time many years ago, was a member of one of the above. I did not consider myself courageous. I sometimes thought I was bloody stupid but never courageous. Courage, I think, is subjective. It takes huge amounts of courage for some people to stand before an audience. I find it no problem.
It's the old 'blanket statement' problem with a sprinkling of political correctness.
 
Lowaicue said:
With respect there are several careers for which members must show extreme courage. Firemen, Lifeboat crews, Miners, steeplejacks, and many more.
Of course there are courageous soldiers but my point is that it does not necessarily follow that service equals courage.
I, for a time many years ago, was a member of one of the above. I did not consider myself courageous. I sometimes thought I was bloody stupid but never courageous. Courage, I think, is subjective. It takes huge amounts of courage for some people to stand before an audience. I find it no problem.
It's the old 'blanket statement' problem with a sprinkling of political correctness.
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Any person in any branch of the military may find themselves on the front lines with a gun in their hand. Not by choice, but because that is the game that they play. I submit that it takes courage to join up at all.

And I agree that Firemen, lifeboat crews, miners, steeplejacks and more require courage (or a choice to make money). Many of the careers that are dangerous get paid more than other careers. Miners make a good living for manual labor. Soldiers make diddly for their dangerous job. People become miners or steeplejacks for the money. No one joins the military for the paycheck.
 
There are many very curageous people in america.
Take a person who chooses to care for a terminally ill parent? or a parent with altzheimers? Severey crippled or retarded? Those people wo do this day after day and only get crap and no thanks from the one they are caring for are some of the mostr curageous people I know of.

The only difference between bravery and foolhardiness in many cases is the reason for doing the act.

Climbing a mountain just to do it is not bravery. Doing it save some fool who is hurt up there is.
 
I really feel sorry for this kid....because her father is one disingenuous little SOB.

I remember when the kid was snatched and Daddy was holding numerous press conferences NOT like a panicked, grief stricken Dad with Mom sporting constant similar dopey smiles, but like some well oiled politico or corporate CEO. I was like, who the fuck is this clown...or who does he think he is? It was HIS fault the kid was snatched, because you DO NOT let day workers have access to the inside of your house.

When Amy was recovered and after a stay at the hospital released home, Papa Smart has a press conference to tell the world that the family immediately went into their prayer routine to maker her feel at home?

Excuse me? The initial reports stated the kid told how her abductor was a religious wack job who was constently at her with sleep deprevation techniques, etc. Common sense would should have told Papa Smart...ease up on the knee bending, it won't kill you. But hey, the public had to know that the good Christian values that lead the Smarts to hire the bum for housework that got the kid snatched in the first place were still intact. And always with that dopey smile.

Well, a few weeks after she's home, Papa Smart announces his bid for congressional rep for his county....he failed.

Now here we are again, and Amy tells the world the bastard repeatedly raped her. There's Papa Smart in front of the cameras, choking back tears and telling the world he never knew of the horror she went through.

Excuse me?

The hospitial did a full medical and psych evaluation of this kid when she was rescued. Papa Smart wants us to know that they forgot to tell him that she was raped? Or that the examinations missed that she was raped? Hmmm, wouldn't the later result in a serious lawsuit? Maybe Papa Smart just forgot over 7 years.

I feel sorry for this kid....God go with her for surviving that horror and still have her head on straight. As for Papa Smart....he leaves a trail wherever he goes. Pity kids can't choose their parents.
 
Lowaicue said:
Is it courageous to join a system in which you simply do as you are told? Whatever the circumstances it takes more courage to say 'No' than to blindly follow. Of course there are soldiers, sailors and airmen who are extremely courageous but, as with any other section of society, there are cowards and there are heroes.
I'm sorry but the statement, 'He/she/I/you served one/two/three tours of duty is pretty meaningless in the 'courage' stakes.
'I was captured and refused to tell my captors under threats and torture.' is pretty courageous.
Not wishing to offend.
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Then you should tell your Chinese masters NO, I WON'T BE THE VESSEL OF YOUR LYING AND CONTINUE TO POST THE CRAP YOU TELL ME TO.

It would make you feel better.
 
uscitizen said:
There are many very curageous people in america.
Take a person who chooses to care for a parent with altzheimers? Severey crippled or retarded? Those people wo do this day after day and only get crap and no thanks from the one they are caring for are some of the mostr curageous people I know of.
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I agree. Your children are especially c-o-u-r-a-g-e-o-u-s!
 
WinterBorn said:
No one joins the military for the paycheck.
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That's not true. Enlistment numbers are through the roof due to the recession. A job with the Navy my son is considering is as an "underwater welder". The re-enlistment bonus every 4 years is 150K. In the private sector that would be half of what he could earn contractually, but he gets the training coupled with the GI-Bill and VA status to boot...it's all incentivized. It's such a good gig if you go into it with your eyes open, that for many middle class and low income kids it is the very best opportunity they'll ever have to change their life. This doesn't mean it does not require courage, it does, especially during war time…but make no mistake it is or can be lucrative. My brother is a retired Navy Chief. He worked in a specialty field on Nuke Subs. His re-enlistment bonuses were very nice. He bought franchise restraints with each one. When he retired at age 43 he sold his chain and is now a millionaire in San Diego with full retirement.
 
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