Call me a traitor...I don't care.

I may say something which will really piss some people off ( go figure, right?), but I don't care.

First off, I must say, I love my country and the ideals it was founded upon. More specifically, I love the Constitution. Anyone who knows me, knows this.
However, I am also a skeptic.
I need to take issue with a couple things.
One, the idea of calling every, or nearly every, person who has served in the military a "hero." It seems to me people say such things to make themselves feel better, yet at the same time almost challenge others to do the same. It is a passive form of waving a flag or pledging allegiance. It silently shouts "Hey, I'm a good person! I back the military! I'm a REAL American! Go team!"
It is nothing more than laziness. People who say all soldiers are heroes render the word meaningless. They degrade the true heroes.
A hero is defined: "A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose" among other things.
Does everyone who severs in the military fit this?
The answer is a resounding "No!"
Joining the military makes a man no more a hero than putting an idiotic and Chinese-made "Power of Pride" bumper sticker on your car makes you a patriot. Power of Pride....what the hell does that mean anyway?
So why say it?
I think it is some new psychosis people (at least in America) have developed. It is a compulsion to modify or describe EVERYTHING (yes, that was on purpose) with the use of hyperbole. I call it Hyperbolism, or Hyperbolia....

For people who may not know, a "hyperbole" is an extremely exaggerated expression...such as, "I would rather die than listen to him sing." Really? You would rather die?
That is hyperbole.

Due to a lacking vocabulary or laziness (maybe both) people project their emotions in extremes to make a point. They vomit words at another person, not realizing or understanding the true idea behind what they said.
"That was the greatest movie EVER!"
This is what they do when they call ALL soldiers heroes. Soldiers can be valiant. Soldiers can be steadfast. They can be any number of complimentary and positive descriptions....however, they are not ALL heroes.
Ah, what is the harm, right? You know what I mean.
There is great harm. It not only harms the meaning of words, it depletes them...drains them of value. When a fantastic event or person comes around, they are left in the same category with lessers.
The way bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, mankind becomes resistant to words and their importance.

My second issue:
Here is a quick story. A man walks outside and sees a group of young men shoot his dog. He is outrage (and justly so). He shouts at the men who then run to their car and take off. The man grabs two guns, jumps in his truck, and follows the men. He chases them across four counties waving his firearms and finally runs them off the road. He holds them at gunpoint until the police arrive.

Now, most reasonable people would say this man went over the edge a tad bit (hyperbole). Actually, most sane people would say he went way too far, nearly deranged. Yes, his "best friend" was killed and he should be angry. And yes, the men who did it should be punished. Being a dog-lover myself and having had someone kill one of my dogs, I understand his pain. However, pursuing the men over the countryside with his weapons in hand (how many innocent people did he endanger with his high speed chase?) and running them off the road....too far.
Was he willing to get into a shoot-out four counties away from his home over a dog? Talk about extreme!
Hunting down dog-killers is not his job.
That is job of the police.
These men were not the James Gang. They killed a dog. While the act is horrible, it was just a dog.
Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut, if you name is Marcus Luttrell and you were a Navy SEAL, it's just fine.
It seems Hyperbolia is manifesting itself. It's acceptable to say things which are sooooooooo extreme and now, even the actions of our "heroes" which are sooooooooo extreme, are fine too.
Hyperbolia.