This morning I was watching the news and a story with a narrative about the Royals attending a memorial for fallen British solders from the Afghan War. Along the bottom of the screen, someone here in Australia created the text 'Royals attend service for the 486 dead heroes of Afghan war.' The British were not regarding every solder killed in action as a hero, but someone at the ABC apparently does.

We have seen similar misrepresentations with all of the victims of the 9/11 Twin Towers being called heroes and more recently some referred to the Lindt Café hostages as heroes. Even cancer survivors are now sometimes referred to as heroes.

Heroes are the ones who through their own bravery and personal risk save others, allowing those saved to be the survivors. Getting killed instantly and unexpectedly will sitting at your desk; hiding under a table; or escaping the threat to save one's life is not an act of heroism.

Are the do-gooders who want to remove the score from children's competitive sports the same people attempting to escalate anyone who is killed or survives a tragedy to hero status. The watering down of 'hero' needs to be stopped and our media needs to start taking some responsibility for getting the context right.

The following two definitions provide perspective on who should receive the accolades attributed to a hero:

(1) A person who is admired for their distinguished courage, brave deeds, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

(2) "True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost." — Arthur Ashe

ConservativeHippie

I suspect we have not heard of the name of most heroes. One of my heroes is a man who served the aboriginals for 50 years as a missionary receiving very little payment. He sacrificed much with getting next to zilch in return. Certainly a rare breed today. Usually when awards are given it is to some high paid Government official.

Each culture produces its heroes, and these
are usually passed down from generation to generation.
We need models of human behaviour that help give
meaning and value to life. As science provides answers,
new questions and new dilemmas arise. Man's ongoing
spiritual search to Truth and Life will continue and
heroes will be a part of the search. Man's questioning
never ceases. The supreme quest of every age is to look
beyond the edge of present vision.

Heroes will always exist. Today's youth lives with the
fear of nuclear catastrope and so searches for some
certainty. Children need role models - and they need
to also know that life's possibilities are without limit.

In my own case I learnt from biographies that even great
individuals start out as everyday children.

Then we have the role models in historical stories and
legends. King Arthur showed what a noble deed looked
like - and that there is such as thing as duty and
sacrifice. Cinderella enchanted not because she got the
prince but because she was cheerful and dignified even
in unbearable circumstances. J. K. Rowling's, Harry Potter
series, showed that good can triumph over evil, and so it
goes.

Heroes will continue to be produced.
And they will continue to be heroic.

Well as Foxy has demonstrated the ideal of heroism has been detached from it's proper context in the concept of virility, from virility we get virtue and heroism is a virtue. Virtue IS masculinity (a virtuous woman being the equal of a man by the way), Jack Donovan in his book The Way Of Men describes it as a set of tactical virtues sought by men from other men, strength, courage, mastery and honour and a hero embodies those in the eyes of his peers.
The term "role model" is another post modern buzzword,if anything it implies the opposite of heroism, a self selected label like any of the other myriad Tumblr and 4chan identity constructs and "isms".
Heroism isn't a role, it's an essential quality, the same can be said of masculinity, today's "role models" are mostly deployed to suppress virility and by pathologising masculinity head off any activity which might lead to heroism.

The following is taken from the website given below.
It is worth a read.

We are told that -

"For thousands of years, heroic stories have been
used to inspire, motivate, and transfer cultural
values to children."

"The stories have a common pattern. They begin with
a likeable hero who encounters a challenge of roadblock
in life, And then, with the help of others, the hero emerges
from the difficult situation transformed by his or her
experiences."

"Heroic stories are found everywhere in modern media".

"In "Avatar," Jake Sully is a paralyzed ex-Marine who has
the opportunity to walk again through a proxy Na'vi body
in the world of Pandora. But he encounters an unexpected
challenge. He falls in love with a Na'vi woman, Neytin,
and is forced to choose sides in an epic battle between
the humans and the Na'vi people."

"With the help of many, Jake's leadership prevails and the
humans are defeated. Jake is permanently transformed in a
Na'vi body where he lives the rest of his life with Neytin".

Jospeh Campbell, renowed mythologist and author of "The Hero
with a Thousand Faces" believes that people created heroes
and myths out of their own human experiences.

Why? To constantly remind us anything is possible!
When we face difficult life challenges we draw on heroic
stories for inspiration and to help us persevere through
obstacles.

Heroes show us a way to overcome life's challenges through
the use of a variety of character strengths and virtues.

Heroes are humans who have succeeded in breaking barriers
that previously limited them. They will continue to inspire
us.

http://www.rootsofaction.com/role-of-heroes-for-children/

cont'd ...

I forgot to add an important point that Campbell
makes and it's this:

Too often, children, teenagers and even some adults
view heroes as myths or legends rather than
representations of mere humans who succeeded in
breaking barriers that previously limited them.

Campbell saw this as a deep problem with modern-day
individuals who failed to see the value of heroic
stories in their own lives.

For parents and teachers, these stories can be tools to
teach young people how to face and overcome challenges
in the real world. But they need to take these modern
day films beyond entertainment. Adults need to have
conversations with young people that delve more deeply
into meaning.