| | Liz wrote: "Now you can argue that when they were busboys they weren't heroic, until they entered the business side and expanded the restaurant to make millions, but it's the same person going from busboy to businessman."
And that is my argument. Howard Roark can never be heroic as a quarry laborer and John Galt as a railroad laborer in the same manner they are as an architect and a scientist respectively. Like you said, same person, different professions. It is true that the title or position, in itself, does not confer nobility, but neither does possessing abilities one does not put to full use. The busboy could be the most business-savvy busboy who ever lived, but can never apply his savvy to the same extent he can as a restaurant manager or an owner. The extent of his heroism are defined by what he can possibly do within that profession. I contend your potential for greatness increases with your choice of career.
By the way, I appreciate the kind words for the military. If there is one thing I love about my job, it is the opportunity to work with some genuine heroes. I realized that when I swore-in as a US citizen last month at the LA Convention Center along with 3000+ immigrants, with more than that watching and cheering. Me and about two dozen other servicemen, in our full-dress uniforms, were seated front and center. From their medals, I can tell that some of them were combat veterans. The servicemen received their certificates first and at the same time, so we all left the building first and at the same time. As we slowly and solemnly marched down the middle of the aisle (in military formation) toward the main exit, almost everyone in the audience, without any prompting, stood up and gave us as a several minutes long standing ovation. I am sure they had no idea if these men did or did not do anything heroic, or possessed heroic qualities, but they gave us that recognition nonetheless. I think it is because people can recognize the act of choosing that profession (or any profession) can be a small act of heroism in itself. And that's my two cents.
(Edited by Byron Garcia on 7/14, 8:25am)
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