Observation. Why do we have so many heroes? Everyone seems to be a hero nowadays. Sports figures are "heroes" when all they do is play a sport well, even if their personal life is a disaster. Why isn't a CEO with an impeccable personal life a hero when he or she runs a company well. Why is a drug addict a hero for recovering from a life of drug use while a person who has never used drugs is not considered a hero? What happened to the days when heroes did heroic things?

Is a police officer or fire fighter a hero for saving a life? Is a father a hero for saving his child from a burning house? Is Jessica Lynch a hero for surviving a war? (Even she says she is a survivor, not an hero.) Is a soldier a hero for rescuing Jessica? I say "No!" These are people who have a job to do. They chose to do the job and they have a duty and a responsibility to perform their job, no matter how dangerous the job may be. It is their responsibility to put their lives in danger.

If a fireman refused to go into a burning house to save a person, he or she would be subject to disciplinary action and possibly, criminal action. The same holds true for police officers and military personnel. Soldiers are not heroes for surviving the injuries of war. They deserve medical care, they may be entitled to disability pay, and they should be thanked for doing their job well, if, in fact, they did their job well. Just because one is injured does not mean he or she did his or her job well.

I support the definition of an hero as set forth by the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. The Carnegie Medal of Honor has been issued (sometimes with a cash ward) since 1904 to civilians who knowingly risk their own lives to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the life of another person. To receive the award, the act of rescue must be one in which no full measure of responsibility exists between the rescuer and the rescued. Persons NOT eligible for awards are:

Does a true hero, milk his or her hero status for personal gain? Senators John McCain and John Kerry were awarded military hero status over 30 years ago, and they still use it in expectation of getting more votes because of it. What about the thousands of other military heroes who came home and lived their lives in anonymity? They didn't and still don't think they deserved special status because they were just doing their duty. Why do some politician heroes think they are unique and deserve to be rewarded year after year after year? .

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Observation. Ever listen to the questions posed by the "impartial" news media? When a conservative is president a question may be "Some say the President is lying. What do think about a president who lies to ?" When a liberal is in office the question is "Some say the President is lying. Why do you think they are saying this?" If the media is impartial, why do they give high-school-drop-out actors, musicians, rappers, and sports stars a platform to speak their anti-war, anti-government diatribes when they have no more qualifications to speak than any average person.

Diane Sawyer was doing one of her impartial interviews of a wounded soldier returning from Iraq the other morning. In her impartial manner of questioning, she asked how the soldier felt about getting shot in a war that was not welcomed by the Iraqi people or supported by the world. The soldier said the Iraqi people he dealt with were friendly and thanked him for our help and that he could not wait to get back to Iraq to do his duty. Diane's response was "YOU WANT TO GO BACK?" Some people do not understand honor and personal integrity.

Why is that Fox news is criticized for its "fair and impartial" slogan but CNN get a bye with its "most trusted name in news" slogan?

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Observation. If you drink, be careful about only having a couple of beers. Practically every person I have dealt with who was involved in an alcohol related crime, such as drunk driving, only had a couple of beers. Drunk drivers seldom say they had a lot to drink, so it must be the two beer level that causes people to drink and drive.

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Observation. Contrary to popular belief, it is impossible to get a pay raise that will put you into a higher tax bracket so that you will take home less pay than you did before the raise. Tax brackets are progressive. Your whole pay is not subject to the higher tax bracket, only the pay that is above the minimum amount taxed by that tax bracket.

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Observation. Ever notice how losers use the excuse "I just do what I have to do" when they are caught doing soemthing wrong. If they had done what they had to do, such as finishing school and being a productive member of society, then they wouldn't have to do the wrong things.

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Observation. Ever notice how people who say they act like they do because they are "different" than everyone all else seem to hang around with people who act just like them. They all dress alike, act alike, and think alike, such as Harley motorcycle riders. So much for being different.

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Observation. Some people think "Excuse me" gives them the right to interfere with your life. You are supposed to stop what you are doing and give your complete attention to them. Don't use "Excuse me!" as an order and continue, instead, use "Excuse me?" as a question and wait for an answer. Don't excuse the "Excuse me!" people who are always butting in, make them wait their turn in life.

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Observation. When an idiot is judged on his or her speech, actions, or appearance, the classic retort is "You don't know me!" Well, just how else is someone supposed to know you except by what you say, what you do, and the way you dress? And, if you have been judged as someone people do not want to know by your speech, actions, or appearance, why would anyone want to know you?

No one can really "know" another person, especially when the person does not really even know him or herself. Watch the news, watch your neighborhood. People who do bad things say it was "not like them," that they do not usually do that sort of thing. Relatives of people who do bad things say that it was "out of character" that the bad doers are usually fine, upstanding citizens.

You will be judged by your speech, appearance, behavior, and actions. If you do not like the judgments people are making about you, then change your speech, appearance, behavior, and actions. If you are not willing to change, then stop making excuses by blaming others by saying "You don't know me!"

Comments.

sr2g2006@aol.com said...

real question is why would you care what the next person thinks or why would you want to “know them” if their mentality is that shallow? you run into people all the time you have short conversations with, does that mean you “know” them based on the way they dress and a few words of simple convo? of course not. it takes more than a few words of convo and some bs pre assumptions to say you “know” somebody e.g. not all minorities are criminals, not all people that talk with an accent or “slang” are uneducated ect. from reading your little posts on here i can make the assumption youre one of those over the hill, egotistic, snotty, know it all instructors trying to compensate for some insecurity or something missing in your life. am i right? maybe, maybe not. opinions are like a-holes, everyones got one.

TKDTutor said...

You ask, “real question is why would you care what the next person thinks or why would you want to “know them” if their mentality is that shallow?” It appears you care about what a stranger thinks, since you have responded to my “shallow” comment. When I meet people, I see how they are dressed, listen to what they say, and watch their behavior and mannerisms. If the person presents him or herself as shallow, then I will not want to know or further associate with them.

You state, “it takes more than a few words of convo and some bs pre assumptions to say you ‘know’ somebody,” but then, after reading my posts, you immediately presume to know that I am “one of those over the hill, egotistic, snotty, know it all instructors trying to compensate for some insecurity or something missing in your life.”

How much information about a person must you have before you may “know” the person? You may know a person for years, thinking the person is a good, law abiding person, and then discover that the person is a child molester or an embezzler. To “know” a person, one can only evaluate the information presented. People may present themselves as good when they are actually bad, but rarely do good people present themselves as bad. Therefore, when a person presents negative characteristics, the person is not someone most people would want to know.

While it is true that not all minorities are criminals, look at the demographics of the prisoner population. When compared to the proportion of minorities in the general population, there is a much greater proportion of minority prisoners. You should not judge a person solely on race or ethnicity, but it is certainly a factor to be considered. Not all dogs bite, but it would be stupid to stick your hand out to a strange pit bull you meet on the street.

It is true that not all people who speak with an accent are uneducated. Accent is not related to education; it is related to the speech of people who influenced a person when he or she was learning to speak. However, one may make logical assumptions from a person’s accent, such as what may be the person’s religious upbringing (southerners are predominately protestant and Italians are predominately Catholic), and, from that simple assumption, you may make logical assumptions about the person’s probable behavior (such as what they think about abortion). This is how criminal profilers make their assumptions about criminal behavior.

While it is true that not all people who use slang in their speech are uneducated, the use of slang does indicate certain characteristics about a person’s behavior. For example, it may be assumed that the person wants to “fit in” or be associated with a group that uses the slang. It also indicates that the person thinks that the use of the slang will benefit him or her in some way. Most people were not taught to say, “You know” at the end of every sentence. The practice will not help a person be successful (successful people do not speak this way); it only helps the person fit into a group of unsuccessful people. Therefore, when a person uses, “You know” at the end of every sentence, it is logical to assume that the person is an uneducated or undereducated loser who wants to be accepted by a group of losers.

From your short comments here and on the “Decisions” post, here is what I “know” about you. You condemn one obvious typo, while you make comments that are full of grammatical errors. You make irrational, hypocritical, and contradictory statements. You let your emotions override whatever logic and reason you may have. As you asked in you comment, “am i right? maybe, maybe not.”

(5/2/06) RK said...

lol what an ego on this guy. browsing through the blogs on here, didnt suprise me a bit this guy was or is in law enforcement. only cops and such have egos this big. the post that stuck out the most to me was the “you dont know me” thread. first off “tough guy”, you dont “know” someone based on a few words of convo and the way theyre dressed, thats called an assumption e.g. all minorities are criminals, people that talk with an accent or “slang” are uneducated ect. ( typical law enforcement mentality). i could make an assumption that youre an over the hill,egotistical, know it all instructor trying to compensate for insecurities or something missing in your life. am i right? maybe, maybe not. opinions are like a-holes, everyones got one. in short, drop the ego and your political views, this is supposed to be a martial arts site ( if you can actually call taekwondo a martial art, whole other topic all together). nobody cares about your political and personal views, stick to the issue.

TKDTutor said...

This type of post is interesting. When you read what RK is saying and then compare it to the overall theme of his post, you realize that what he is complaining about is actually describing his character as he presents it in his post.

TKDTutor.com is dedicated to informing Taekwondo practitioners about all aspects of the martial art of Taekwondo. The “TKDTutor’s Thoughts” blog, especially the “Observations and Raves” category, is just what it says it is—a blog of my thoughts on various subjects. If you disagree with my thoughts, I will be happy to discuss them with you reasonably and logically.

RK’s statement about Taekwondo is similar to statements people make about President Bush being stupid. Here is a man who has a BA in history from Yale, a MA in business from Harvard, was a fighter pilot in the Texas Air National Guard, made millions in the oil industry, owned the Texas Rangers baseball franchise, was the first Governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive 4-year terms, and is in his second term as President of the United States. Whether or not you agree with his leadership and politics, he is certainly not stupid. Whether or not you agree with the methods of Taekwondo, it is still the most successful, most widely practiced martial art in the world.

(5/19/06) RK said..

This type of post is interesting. When you read what RK is saying and then compare it to the overall theme of his post, you realize that what he is complaining about is actually describing his character as he presents it in his post.<**** which would be what?? more assumptions

RK’s statement about Taekwondo is similar to statements people make about President Bush being stupid. <***lol. since you want to go that route ill put it out there. in your comments about taekwando you basically admit to taekwando being an inferior art that needs updating and changes, which is about the only thing youve said i can agree with. by you saying “you need to learn to slip punches like boxers” and about verticle fists being inferior to horizontal fists ect. proves taekwando is an inferior art. if youre gonna learn to slip punches, use horizontal punches ect. why waste your time with tkd? take up kickboxing or muay thai, effective arts that have been proven in the ring and in the street. why waste your time with an art like taekwando for decades that doesnt and never will represent real combat?

You ask, “real question is why would you care what the next person thinks or why would you want to “know them” if their mentality is that shallow?” It appears you care about what a stranger thinks, since you have responded to my “shallow” comment.<***i could really careless what you think, but i never pass up the opportunity to debate with an egotistical know it all like yourself. When I meet people, I see how they are dressed, listen to what they say, and watch their behavior and mannerisms. If the person presents him or herself as shallow, then I will not want to know or further associate with them.<<<********hm… i smell a contradiction.

you immediately presume to know that I am “one of those over the hill, egotistic, snotty, know it all instructors trying to compensate for some insecurity or something missing in your life.” <** no i dont know that, but as far as stereotypes go thats how you present yourself.

How much information about a person must you have before you may “know” the person? You may know a person for years, thinking the person is a good, law abiding person, and then discover that the person is a child molester or an embezzler. To “know” a person, one can only evaluate the information presented. People may present themselves as good when they are actually bad, but rarely do good people present themselves as bad. Therefore, when a person presents negative characteristics, the person is not someone most people would want to know.<****you said it yourself. the white collar executive that speaks with good grammar could be the child molester or the embezzler. while the minority that talks the way they do could be cause of upbringing, ignorance, lack of opportunity, good education ect. yet hasnt commited a crime in his or her life. so much for “judging” people on the way they dress and speak. more contradictions.

While it is true that not all minorities are criminals, look at the demographics of the prisoner population. When compared to the proportion of minorities in the general population, there is a much greater proportion of minority prisoners. You should not judge a person solely on race or ethnicity, but it is certainly a factor to be considered. Not all dogs bite, but it would be stupid to stick your hand out to a strange pit bull you meet on the street.<***typical of someone to say that was born with a silverspoon in their mouth. im not a minority, but i grew up around them so i know first hand the racism minorities and poor people go threw in general just cause of the way they were born or where theyre from. until you experience racial or geographical prejudice ( which im sure you never have) you dont have a clue.

what may be the person’s religious upbringing (southerners are predominately protestant and Italians are predominately Catholic), and, from that simple assumption, you may make logical assumptions about the person’s probable behavior (such as what they think about abortion). This is how criminal profilers make their assumptions about criminal behavior.<****lol smells like typically law enforcement b.s. to me

While it is true that not all people who use slang in their speech are uneducated, the use of slang does indicate certain characteristics about a person’s behavior. For example, it may be assumed that the person wants to “fit in” or be associated with a group that uses the slang. It also indicates that the person thinks that the use of the slang will benefit him or her in some way. Most people were not taught to say, “You know” at the end of every sentence. The practice will not help a person be successful (successful people do not speak this way); it only helps the person fit into a group of unsuccessful people.<**** e.g. rich, stuck up people like yourself. as far as ‘fitting” in with a group, you speak the way you were brought up. if you grew up in a poor neighborhood you would speak the way they do, or if you grew up in the south ect. last time i checked “successful” people dont speak a certain way e.g. rappers, actors ect.

From your short comments here and on the “Decisions” post, here is what I “know” about you. You condemn one obvious typo, while you make comments that are full of grammatical errors. You make irrational, hypocritical, and contradictory statements. You let your emotions override whatever logic and reason you may have. As you asked in you comment, “am i right? maybe, maybe not.” <***lol

TKDTutor said...

In a few short paragraphs, you have referred to me as an “egotistical know it all,” “one of those over the hill, egotistic, snotty, know it all instructors trying to compensate for some insecurity or something missing in your life,” “typical of someone to say that was born with a silverspoon in their mouth,” and “rich, stuck up people like yourself.” However, you have presented little information.

I enjoy discussing differing philosophical views in a reasonable, logical, and civilized manner. If you are able to do this, this discussion will continue, if not, I will not waste any more time with the discussion.

Observation. One self-defense axiom is "When you have no useful defense, then attack with vigor!" Ever notice how some people use this in defending their opinions and ideas. When they have no valid defense to back up their thoughts, they attack you and your even daring to question their thoughts and ideas.

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Observation. The holier than thou's in the world say it is not right to judge others, yet they judge you for judging others. If you do not judge others, you are what is known as a "victim." If you see a guy dressed as a gang member and do not think it is right to judge him as such, and then challenge him by entering his turf to say hello, then you should prepare to meet your final judge.

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