American heroes

Yesterday, viewers of the Republican debate were treated to what has become a standard trope in American politics: A retired military officer (with two sons serving in the armed forces) asked a good question about why we're still in Afghanistan. Rather than answer it, the candidates began with lavish praise of the military officer for having served his country and countenanced the "sacrifice," both metaphorical and perhaps literal, of his two children. I don't want to denigrate those who serve. But, just once, I'd like to see a candidate, asked a question by a school teacher faced with the loss of his/her job because of insane budget cuts (in Texas and elsewhere) and wondering if any sane country would so destroy its public school system, refer to the teacher as an "American hero" without whom this country would be far worse off. I invite discussants to make other nominations. General practitioners who accept Medicare patients increasingly count as American heroes, and so on. I recall some of Jesse Jackson's great speeches about the people who actually work in nursing homes or even clean our hotel rooms, and so on. But I am afraid we're getting more and more militarized, so that to be a recognized "hero," one has to be willing to kill and risk being killed (though some would say, of course, that the principal mission of the modern Army is becoming nation-building).