Just for those who have heroic mom or pop:

Those who defend our freedom know all too well the costs and sacrifices associated with serving in the United States Armed Forces. Many service members leave behind families who must continue their lives with a heavy heart. Other service members sustain wounds and injuries that prevent them from leading a normal life. To show gratitude on behalf of the American people, Freedom Alliance is proud to offer aid to the children of these heroes in the form of college scholarships.

If you or someone you know is the son or daughter of a service member who has sacrificed life or limb, then the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund is available to help alleviate the costs of college.

Well and good. But does death or permanent injury make a soldier a hero? No, it does not. A hero, and let's be clear, can be either dead or alive or injured. Why? Because what defines a hero is not a condition (dead or alive) but an act that happened in the moment of danger. This act has to be amazing, selfless, and, ultimately, have a positive result—saved lives or a victory. To remove the importance of the act, the type of act (a positive act in the moment of danger), from the definition of the hero is to dilute it considerably. In short, this scholarship is not really about charity but politics. It has its roots in the Tea People politics of Support Our Troops.