• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Does anyone here remember Barbara Olson?

Allen773

Graduate Poster
Allen773
Joined
Jun 6, 2008
Messages
1,743
Location
Cali Four Neea
Inspired by the Rescorla thread...

It seems that Mrs. Olson was one of the most prominent victims of the attacks. Did anyone here recognize her from her TV commentary when news of her death broke?

Obviously, she was a very conservative, anti-Clinton, pro-Bush person-pretty much opposite of me politically. But though I disagreed with her politics, she took action in calling her husband on 9/11 and trying to regain control of the situation, and for that, she and others are heroes.
 
Allen773 said:
Inspired by the Rescorla thread...

It seems that Mrs. Olson was one of the most prominent victims of the attacks. Did anyone here recognize her from her TV commentary when news of her death broke?

Obviously, she was a very conservative, anti-Clinton, pro-Bush person-pretty much opposite of me politically. But though I disagreed with her politics, she took action in calling her husband on 9/11 and trying to regain control of the situation, and for that, she and others are heroes.
Click to expand...

She's a hero because she called her husband? :confused:
 
I remember her. She was a blonde and she was married to Ted Olson, who was something in the US Gov't...Solicitor General perhaps. I had seen her on TV many times. The reason she was on the plane that day was to fly to California to be on Politically Incorrect, which at the time came on at midnight on ABC.
 
Hero is fast becoming a worthless term in America.

If Olson actually did something heroic, then she is not included in this, but I know of nothing heroic she did.

By itself, being a victim does not make you a hero.
By itself, doing a difficult job does not make you a hero.
By itself, performing a needed service does not make you a hero.
By itself, volunteering for a dangerous job does not make you a hero.

For heroism to mean anything, you can't class the daily actions and misfortunes of millions of people as heroic, unless there is something about them that stands tall above normal expectations, greatly benefits another person or society, and involves the making or risk of a great personal sacrifice.

I've heard that our soldiers are heroes, our police officers are heros, our firefighters are heroes, our EMTs are heroes, our doctors are heros, our teachers are heros, our parents are heroes, our cancer patients are heroes, our crime victims are heroes, etc. etc. etc.

The term is starting to become fluffy noise.
 
Yes, I remember her very well. She was a popular talking head on TV. Since she was an attorney and covered lots of subjects from OJ Simpson to politics and Bill Clinton's legal woes. I was more conservative then so I'm not sure how I would feel about her now if she were still alive. I don't really remember all that much that she said or believed in. I've grown rather disillusioned of talking heads and conservative talking heads in particular. At the time I was very much impressed with her.

I'm sincerly sorry she died.
 
quixotecoyote said:
Hero is fast becoming a worthless term in America.

If Olson actually did something heroic, then she is not included in this, but I know of nothing heroic she did.

By itself, being a victim does not make you a hero.
By itself, doing a difficult job does not make you a hero.
By itself, performing a needed service does not make you a hero.
By itself, volunteering for a dangerous job does not make you a hero.

For heroism to mean anything, you can't class the daily actions and misfortunes of millions of people as heroic, unless there is something about them that stands tall above normal expectations, greatly benefits another person or society, and involves the making or risk of a great personal sacrifice.

I've heard that our soldiers are heroes, our police officers are heros, our firefighters are heroes, our EMTs are heroes, our doctors are heros, our teachers are heros, our parents are heroes, our cancer patients are heroes, our crime victims are heroes, etc. etc. etc.

The term is starting to become fluffy noise.
Click to expand...
Thank you. I want to slap the taste out people's mouths when I hear them say some athlete is a hero.
 
quixotecoyote said:
I've heard that our soldiers are heroes, our police officers are heros, our firefighters are heroes, our EMTs are heroes, our doctors are heros, our teachers are heros, our parents are heroes, our cancer patients are heroes, our crime victims are heroes, etc. etc. etc.
Click to expand...


And I bet neither of their parents are Gods! :mad:
 
Does anybody here remember Vera Lynn?

Now that my mandatory Pink Floyd referance is done and over with I think I'll manuever my way back into the shadows.

ETA: On the subject of firefighters being heroes. Well I'm just a lowly volunteer so I can't speak too much on the subject but I've yet to meet a firefighter, volunteer or otherwise, who would ever call themselves a hero or even accept the word. Everyone I've met just looks at it as their job.
 
Last edited:
so define hero?

what is your definition of a hero?

tell me the story of someone you think of as a hero.

I know a few people I think of that way.

Robert Lancaster is one. Not because he had a stroke, but for the way he lives his life and what he decided to do with his life. He decided to do something that made his life less comfortable, and he is not a man that seeks confrontation or fame. He doesn't get some buzz out of doing what he does so well.

A hero often makes himself less comfortable in his life, to make life better for others. It's often a long term commitment, indeed much like dieting.. it's not a one time deal but a lifestyle change.
 
kittynh said:
so define hero?

what is your definition of a hero?
Click to expand...
  • Someone who isn't looking to become a hero.
  • Someone who helps and serves others because he or she wants to serve others.
  • Someone who serves others in a capacity that serves others more than any possible monetary return.
James Randi is one of my heroes. I've met him and he is without pretension and self aggrandizement (yes, he bills himself as Amazing and he likes the attention but it isn't in a smarmy superior way). He really cares about other people.

Robert Lancaster easily qualifies. His websites aren't commercial ventures. Others have offered money and he has been careful about how he would accept it. His interest in the welfare of others is quite apparent and his commitment to fairness even to folks like Sylvia are truly inspiring.

I've others but those are two of my favorites.
 
Kthulhut Fhtagn said:
ETA: On the subject of firefighters being heroes. Well I'm just a lowly volunteer so I can't speak too much on the subject but I've yet to meet a firefighter, volunteer or otherwise, who would ever call themselves a hero or even accept the word. Everyone I've met just looks at it as their job.
Click to expand...


In the specific case of 9/11 a great deal of firefighters performed actions that went beyond what was expected of them. Likewise, soldiers who are recognised for bravery are typically cited as having gone "above and beyond the call of duty". The consistent theme here is that heroes perform deeds that go beyond what their job requires of them. I think this is perhaps a useful way of approaching the matter. So being a soldier, in itself, does not make one a hero - indeed I think most people would agree a soldier can be a coward.

As you raised, another common feature of genuine heroes is that they downplay their own actions, refuse accolades of heroism, and claim they are just doing their job.

I am reminded of a quote at the end of the film Black Hawk Down when Josh Hartnett's character is paying respects to the body of one of his slain comrades.

"No one asks to be a hero. Sometimes it just ends up that way."
 
I quite like Wikipedia's definition:

Those that, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice for some greater good.
 
gumboot said:
I quite like Wikipedia's definition:

Those that, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, display courage and the will for self-sacrifice for some greater good.
Click to expand...
Good. I don't think anyone should be considered a hero unless there is some element of significant personal risk involved. Which is why I have to disagree with RandFan here; while I admire, respect, appreciate <insert other words indicating approval here> James Randi, I do not consider him a hero.

When you start calling everyone you look up to a hero, you cheapen the word. When you start calling everyone a hero, then you can no longer praise an individual by calling him a hero - you can only insult him by neglecting to name him.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom - the civilian version of the Congressional Medal of Honor - has been similarly degraded. When people like Tip O'Neill, Lucille Ball, and Ted Williams can be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but Rick Rescorla gets ignored year after year, the award becomes a parody of itself.
 
BPSCG said:
Good. I don't think anyone should be considered a hero unless there is some element of significant personal risk involved. Which is why I have to disagree with RandFan here; while I admire, respect, appreciate <insert other words indicating approval here> James Randi, I do not consider him a hero.

When you start calling everyone you look up to a hero, you cheapen the word. When you start calling everyone a hero, then you can no longer praise an individual by calling him a hero - you can only insult him by neglecting to name him.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom - the civilian version of the Congressional Medal of Honor - has been similarly degraded. When people like Tip O'Neill, Lucille Ball, and Ted Williams can be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but Rick Rescorla gets ignored year after year, the award becomes a parody of itself.
Click to expand...

Did you ever know that you're my hero,
and everything I would like to be?
I can fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

 
I don't have any real problem attributing the virtue of heroism or valor to Ms. Olson's actions of September 11, 2001. It may pale a bit in comparison to the heroics of the actions of some of the passengers of UAL93, but by the same token she had the presence of mind to communicate the incident, actions and clues to the identity of identities of the hijacker of AA77 to authorities (in this case, her husband) in the face of what any rational person (troother mileage may vary) of imminent, mortal fear.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom