>>>>From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
To my mind, there is a distinct difference between martyrs and heroes.  The
firemen, police and other emergency workers are heroes.  They were not
"conscious" of the sacrifice they were making.  They didn't say "I don't
like this situation, and I'm going to take my life, or allow it to be taken,
to make a statement". They were conscious of the job they had to do,
concentrated on that, and died doing it.<<<<

The emergency workers didn't choose/decide to die, which is how I understand
martyrdom.  On the other hand, they did choose to go where they knew there
was grave risk to their lives.  For that, they might still be considered
martyrs, dying for the cause of rescuing innocent victims of attack.

I don't think there's pointlessness involved in martyrdom--people who died
as martyrs often did so because it was the only alternative to betraying
either their faith or people they cared about.  The flight that crashed in
Pennsylvania may have had martyrs aboard.  Several passengers had stated
they were going to "do something about" the hijacking, having been told of
the other hijacked flights that were used as weapons of mass destruction.
The crash may have been to prevent that flight from being used the same
way--definitely martyrdom.

Robin K Panza                         [log in to unmask]
Collection Manager, Section of Birds          ph:  412-622-3255
Carnegie Museum of Natural History       fax: 412-622-8837
4400 Forbes Ave.
Pittsburgh  PA  15213-4008  USA

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