[JustKaz]

Originally Posted by Shasown

Got to love this thread, could I just say most junior ranks in the armed forces do not join up to lay down their lives for others, some believe the publicity about the training, esprit de corps, some join for the wages, its bloody good money for a 17-20 odd year old who has only Jobseekers Allowance to spend. A few join to get away from home. One or two are psychos who want to go out and see what its like to kill someone. Some join up out of family traditions.

Some join to prove themselves. A lot join for the adventure, that notion is soon changed for a lot the first time they have to arm up with live rounds. Saying that for a few the first time they come into contact with the enemy they become addicted to the buzz, its something that cant really be equalled in civvy street.

Steve was simply unlucky, wrong place wrong time, but to suggest he took the explosion for others is extremely naive. The IED was placed in a Nationalist area, the Falls Road was and still is part of the republican heartland in Belfast, no way would they have set off the bomb to take out civilians.

It was there to take out members of the security forces either the Army or the RUC. To show that the republicans still held sway over the area and that the security forces could operate in the area only at their peril. Its a tactic to prove that the security forces dont have total control of an area, and that the terrorists can operate with impunity.

ok I will contribute more to this thread. i do agree with a lot you say here, yes steve was unlucky, but I am sure too he would know the risk of what could happen to him as many others in armed forces and those that choose to join are brave ( and also heros to an extent)

Lets take Steve out of the BB equation, and give a diferent senario for example..
The original poster of this thread is at a function where there are armed forces are being welcomed home, and among them are wounded soliders just like steve, would the original poster feel 'whats all the fuss? and have the same opinion that the soilders are NOT heros?

Another senario Would it have made a difference if another soilder was beside steve at the time he walked past this barrel, and steve pushed him out o the way, staving his life and taking the blast? would that THEN make him a hero to original poster ( as he says what he thinks a real hero is)

Also as many say Steve has not called himself a hero, others have.

Going back to BB those house mates were NOT randomly pick, steve was because of what has happened to him, and I do believe that some of the public would find it difficult to look beyond this and go just by his personality when juding him.

MY very first opinion when steve was picked (so called randomly) and the fact that BB theme was circus, is that why they choose him and I was not sure that I was disgrace at myself for thinking it or disgraced at BB...I mean there was some very strange people in line up in the launch show.

Steve auditioned, got in I dont agree he should win just because of what happened to him, but IMO he is a hero to have suvived what he went through and rebuild his life considering he was 19yrs old when this happened.

Hope I have made sense here.