hero, redefined

Okay, I guess I'm just being insensitive again.

I don't understand why His challengers refer to John Sidney McCain as "an American Hero". Seems to me His claim to fame is that He failed - miserably. His plane was shot out of the sky and He was captured by the enemy, then tortured for years in the Hanoi Hilton. Sure, I feel sorry for Him, but "hero" - uh, no.

I guess I was raised to believe that "hero" was defined as someone who did something extraordinary, especially if it involved saving someone else's life. It doesn't have to be war-related; a fireman pulling someone from a burning building surely fits the bill, as does the soldier Who Sacrifices All when he leaps onto a grenade - thus absorbing the blast so his buddies can live another day.

I also have a real problem with those who would vote for McBushCain just because someone (Karl Christian Rove?) branded him [An American Hero]. He could also have the most distorted view of the US Presidency since Andrew Johnson (often acknowledged as The Worst US President, although I'll bet George W. Bush gives him a run for his money, when history eventually ranks The Doofus).