You Can't Treat "Heroes" Like Dirt

A series of articles published in the Washington Post on the conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center was a trigger. They effectively circulated these stories across mass media outlets and got people moving.

But the conditions were there at Walter Reed and around the country before the articles came out. The complaints from wounded soldiers and their families were there too. And at Walter Reed, politicians visit frequently. They come to shake hands and enjoy photo opportunities with these fallen heroes.

I want to emphasize "hero." Since 9/11, soldiers and first responders have become heroes. The other day, I heard a talking head refer to soldiers as "professional heroes." By referring to soldiers and first responders as "heroes," certain things can and cannot be done.

You can't treat a "hero" like dirt. Or, if you do, then your legitimacy comes under scrutiny. Hence, watch the politicians jump through their asses in Washington, DC as they deal with the scandal at Walter Reed.

The day the story broke in the Washington Post, the White House was fairly mute about the whole situation. On Alternet, there is a great 10 minute video of Tony Snow (the White House spokesperson) feebly fending off reporters questions about the brewing scandal. The import of the situation had not quite hit them yet.

Now you have the Vice President and the President talking up their resolve to fix the problems at Walter Reed. Congressional Republicans and Democrats are holding hearings. Generals are being fired.

You can't call someone a "hero" and treat them like dirt.

This wasn't a problem after the Vietnam War. Soldiers weren't called "heroes." Often, it seems, they were more likely called "baby killers." You can treat a "baby killer" like dirt--it is much more acceptable practice. Witness the homeless men in Washington DC that are Vietnam veterans or the vets that suffered from Agent Orange and failed to receive adequate treatment and support from the military.

But now, even Vietnam vets are basking in the glow of being a former "hero." They are "heroes" similar to WWII era vets and Gulf War vets. They are all "heroes," warriors and first responders alike.

And you can't treat "heroes" like dirt.

Complaints about VA care have been there for a long time. But it took the post-9/11 "hero" narrative combined with the pictures and stories in the Washington Post articles to create the possibility for a political explosion. And explode it has. In the expanding face of this criticism, watch all the politicians and high ranking officials jump to retain some semblance of legitimacy.