Is giving medals of honor to soldiers who kill people in war a good thing or a bad thing?

[straightmax12]

[NamerOfStars]

No- it's good AND bad. Bad, because it encourages support not only of war, but of devaluing one's own life to the extent required to participate in a war in the first place; good, because like it or not, we need soldiers to fight. If you're the only one who walks away from a war, it'll follow you.

[Pterodon]

It’s a good thing. In most all cases they saved many lives of their brethren

[straightmax12]

Even though they're being rewarded and recognized for the trauma that they faced in battle?

[Pterodon]

Especially

[RebelinSteel]

You don’t give them for killing people, you give them for courageous acts while in combat, under fire

[NamerOfStars]

No, you give them for killing people. Courageously, perhaps, but it's still about the killing.

[RebelinSteel]

@NamerOfStars it’s not always the case and fairly shocking if you are an American and a Brit knows more about it than you. At least learn about your awards.

[NamerOfStars]

I HAVE learned about our awards; that's why I say it's about killing. Couching it in euphemisms doesn't change reality.

At least learn about your language.

[RebelinSteel]

@NamerOfStars so diving on a grenade to save lives?
Flying in under fire to rescue people
Working as a medic under fire from the enemy,
As I said show some respect for your own people.

[ApplePie409]

You're right, and the other guy is wrong. You and your buddy get separated from your squad. It's now just the two of you. Your buddy steps on a landmine and gets a leg blown off. He begs you to leave him to die and just save yourself. What he's saying makes perfect sense, but you can't leave him behind. You just don't have it in you. You decide to save your buddy or die trying. If that doesn't deserve the medal for uncommon valor, I don't know what does.

[RebelinSteel]

@ApplePie409 there have been 3 Conscientious objector Medal of Honor recipients. That is why it’s so not a kill people medal.
Very few medals are awarded for the killing, it’s the saving, For Valour is a thing

[NamerOfStars]

Let's break it down, shall we? The Medal of Honor has been given out 3,554 times. Of those, less than 200 have been for something other than "killing people more effectively in unusually stressful situations". Five and a half percent.

The Distinguished Service Cross has been handed out about thirteen thousand times; less than 400 have been for something other than "killing people more effectively in unusually stressful situations". Less than three percent.

The DOD doesn't even keep track of the Silver Stars that it hands out, so I naturally don't have numbers on those.

A handful of exceptions do not change the rule. Shiny awards to glorify violence ARE shiny awards to glorify violence, however much you dislike it.

Show some respect for the truth.

[RebelinSteel]

@NamerOfStars you still show complete lack of respect for your own people, that is very noticeable. You do you, everyone else will respect their deeds and their valour. Those who get them do so for protecting / saving the lives of others by putting their own life in harms way, that is why they get the medal or medals. Something you would never understand as you don’t respect them.

[NathanDavis]

you don't always have to kill people to get one

war is always a bad thing though... by default, that's true

[ApplePie409]

It depends on the situation. It can be good.

[Dongie]

Consider the lives they saved then consider it.