Heroes? Maybe, Maybe Not

here is an interesting story from the new york times that speaks of the dearth of wartime heroes now and how that may have come into play. and it reminds the reader that people like me who are against the war need to remember the men and women who are over there fighting it and just trying to survive and come home, while doing their best to uphold the traditions of the military branches they serve. these people deserve our respect if only because this war is not what they signed up for, but they are not shirking the reponsibility their signing of contracts committed them to. i will argue against this war and the actions of my government, but i can't condemn the soldiers to death. some, i'm sure, love killing anyone who stands in their way. but most just want to do what they agreed to and come home in one piece. you want heroes? no sane soldier who survives will accept that mantle, but they're exactly the ones who deserve it. not because they defended my "freedom", but because they defended themselves and their buddies in a situation they didn't ask for.