7 ms·

Heroes.

by leishulang 12y ago

Heroes.

NathanCH 12y ago
I'm curious why you think that. Or did you mean the doctors that helped save them?
- donsupreme 12y ago
  If he was a doctor in AIDS ward, and got infected with HIV while caring for other sick patients, wouldn't he be considered a hero? He is a missionary doctor oversea, working in some of the poorest countries in the world, clearly not doing for the money. Believe it or not, people have been called heroes for doing a lot less than that.
  - privong 12y ago
    > If he was a doctor in AIDS ward, and got infected with HIV while caring for other sick patients, wouldn't he be considered a hero? Why is contraction of the virus implied as a necessary condition for being a hero? Clearly the heroic act is the treatement of others; that the hypothetical AIDS doctor or these ebola doctors contracted the disease they were treating in others should not be a necessary condition for considering them heroes.
    - mnarayan01 12y ago
      Nothing the GP said implied it was necessary, merely sufficient.
    - anigbrowl 12y ago
      It isn't; it's the risk of doing so that one willingly runs which makes one a hero. Since we don't see these peole at work the fact of contracting it is an indirect proof of hands-on activity.
  - damon_c 12y ago
    Yes. Going to work as a bond trader in downtown Manhattan on 9/11/2001 did at one point meet the criteria for being called a hero.
  - goodcanadian 12y ago
    Believe it or not, people have been called heroes for doing a lot less than that. Sure. It seems in the U.S. that all you have to do to be a "hero" is enlist in the army.
- ceejayoz 12y ago
  It's probably the "travel overseas to treat a deadly disease that has a history of killing lots of healthcare workers in shitty conditions" part.
- rayiner 12y ago
  From the article: > [Brantly] said Ebola "was not on the radar" when he and his family moved to Liberia in October. I wouldn't have been in Liberia in the first place, but if I had been, I would've been on the first plane out as soon as I even heard a rumor about an Ebola outbreak. He could have--the U.S. is aggressive in helping American citizens evacuate from situations like that. The fact he stayed and helped is what makes him a hero.
- bertil 12y ago
  There is a lot of litterature on what makes a hero -- somehone whose tale is worthy to be told and who should be admired for it. A Hero's journey has to be the classic few have actually read, but many know well enough to refer to: * ideal world, left or destroyed (no matter the reason): he was living a confortable life in a developed country; whether you consider the catastrophy to be his departure or his discovery of the epidemic, both match; * his actions have to be taxing, unexpected, foster his personal qualities and changed the hero's perspective: taking care of patients with a hemoragic fever is very daunting; he didn't come for that and had to learn how (from what would be the 'Fairy godmother' secondary charater, presumably an expert either local doctor or on hemoragic fevers); he didn't go there to catch the fever anyway; * his goal must be clear and positive (aka the Princess, or the Treasure) and be slightly different than expected, to match the hero's own change: cure Ebola, or reach good health in the area; maybe have people die in dignity; he ended up being not a carer but a patient, too; might need a little more detail, but that part is pretty well covered; * resolution must be positive (not necesarily for the hero who may die, but for the world): we have a known process to adress Ebola (with Western-grade medecine) and still the story not over (the 'and had many children' part, obviously 90% of the story, one where being a hero but not part of the narrow frame that makes a hero): we still need to eradicate the desease. I would say his experience fits squarely within the heroic framework.
  - mikeash 12y ago
    I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this comment. It took me back to High School English class, in a good way. There's so much dumb discussion online, about these people and many others, about who deserves to be called a "hero". You're the first one I've seen to actually lay it out in a sensible and reasonably objective manner.

Heroes.

NathanCH 12y ago

I'm curious why you think that. Or did you mean the doctors that helped save them?

donsupreme 12y ago
If he was a doctor in AIDS ward, and got infected with HIV while caring for other sick patients, wouldn't he be considered a hero? He is a missionary doctor oversea, working in some of the poorest countries in the world, clearly not doing for the money. Believe it or not, people have been called heroes for doing a lot less than that.
- privong 12y ago
  > If he was a doctor in AIDS ward, and got infected with HIV while caring for other sick patients, wouldn't he be considered a hero? Why is contraction of the virus implied as a necessary condition for being a hero? Clearly the heroic act is the treatement of others; that the hypothetical AIDS doctor or these ebola doctors contracted the disease they were treating in others should not be a necessary condition for considering them heroes.
  - mnarayan01 12y ago
    Nothing the GP said implied it was necessary, merely sufficient.
  - anigbrowl 12y ago
    It isn't; it's the risk of doing so that one willingly runs which makes one a hero. Since we don't see these peole at work the fact of contracting it is an indirect proof of hands-on activity.
- damon_c 12y ago
  Yes. Going to work as a bond trader in downtown Manhattan on 9/11/2001 did at one point meet the criteria for being called a hero.
- goodcanadian 12y ago
  Believe it or not, people have been called heroes for doing a lot less than that. Sure. It seems in the U.S. that all you have to do to be a "hero" is enlist in the army.
ceejayoz 12y ago
It's probably the "travel overseas to treat a deadly disease that has a history of killing lots of healthcare workers in shitty conditions" part.
rayiner 12y ago
From the article: > [Brantly] said Ebola "was not on the radar" when he and his family moved to Liberia in October. I wouldn't have been in Liberia in the first place, but if I had been, I would've been on the first plane out as soon as I even heard a rumor about an Ebola outbreak. He could have--the U.S. is aggressive in helping American citizens evacuate from situations like that. The fact he stayed and helped is what makes him a hero.
bertil 12y ago
There is a lot of litterature on what makes a hero -- somehone whose tale is worthy to be told and who should be admired for it. A Hero's journey has to be the classic few have actually read, but many know well enough to refer to: * ideal world, left or destroyed (no matter the reason): he was living a confortable life in a developed country; whether you consider the catastrophy to be his departure or his discovery of the epidemic, both match; * his actions have to be taxing, unexpected, foster his personal qualities and changed the hero's perspective: taking care of patients with a hemoragic fever is very daunting; he didn't come for that and had to learn how (from what would be the 'Fairy godmother' secondary charater, presumably an expert either local doctor or on hemoragic fevers); he didn't go there to catch the fever anyway; * his goal must be clear and positive (aka the Princess, or the Treasure) and be slightly different than expected, to match the hero's own change: cure Ebola, or reach good health in the area; maybe have people die in dignity; he ended up being not a carer but a patient, too; might need a little more detail, but that part is pretty well covered; * resolution must be positive (not necesarily for the hero who may die, but for the world): we have a known process to adress Ebola (with Western-grade medecine) and still the story not over (the 'and had many children' part, obviously 90% of the story, one where being a hero but not part of the narrow frame that makes a hero): we still need to eradicate the desease. I would say his experience fits squarely within the heroic framework.
- mikeash 12y ago
  I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed this comment. It took me back to High School English class, in a good way. There's so much dumb discussion online, about these people and many others, about who deserves to be called a "hero". You're the first one I've seen to actually lay it out in a sensible and reasonably objective manner.