Friday, September 24, 2010

Civilian NOT understanding

Ok, this annoys the hell out of me! This is the question from "This Emotional Life" on Facebook.

For those of you who have a loved one in the military right now, what are you doing to prepare for their return home?

Now.. this is so damned typical of the ignorance that civilians show for military life - they mean well, they just don't GET IT! I told them (being the bitch that I am) that they needed to add something - ..... loved one Deployed in the military ..... DEPLOYED being the operative word. Why the hell do they think that everyone in the military is downrange? do they not look around? is the disconnect so complete that someone in the media can ask such a stupid question? GAAAH.

LAW

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

While I agree on one point, please be gentle with the civilians. Trust me when I say that it is thrown at them to be the truth. Before I went active duty, I remember standing in line at the PX hearing some newly minted no-rank privates talking to visitors about how they were all going to Germany/Afghanistan/Iraq. And, for those individuals NOT affiliated with the military they took this to be gospel. They just assumed that everyone in uniform was going to be on the seas or in the sandbox in harms way or away from family. So, yes, many civilians ARE ignorant, but some of that ignorance is perpetuated by US, either of our own ignorance or wanting to look bigger/badder/bolder. I knew better because I went from military dependent for over twenty years to active duty. If I hadn't been a dependent and from a small town...who knows what I would have thought?

liberal army wife said...

BUT - if one watches more than just Beck or Faux News - or just reads a newspaper, a person would learn better! AND this is a NEWS group- a group that started from NPR, and has military folks on their advisory!

Anonymous said...

Then the military folks on the advisory need to educate the ignorant. Some people really don't read the paper that often and Beck is who the like because he is IN YOUR FACE, Jesus, God, apple pie, and baseball in a convenient and easy to digest crust. I'm not completely defending, but I am saying, "have a heart." :) Of course, I say that knowing that I am one of those grumps who shouts, "I supported the troops BEFORE it was popular!" :) have a great weekend!

Holly Christine said...

HI! I just found your blog and I am glad I did! I too am a liberal lady, and I am married to a Sailor.

As for this particular post, You Go Girl!

Civilians just don't get it.

Enchante said...

I completely agree. The number of times that I've had to educate civilians about the simplest notions about the military is unbelievable. I can't say that I know everything about the military but come on, it's just common sense!

*Enchante*

Tsoniki said...

The disconnect seems widely huge at times. When people find out my DH is gone, they get this mixture of sad/scared face, and then I said oh he's not in the middle east - and the looks GOES AWAY!!! Like if he's not there then everything is normal and fine and okay. Meanwhile my kids still cry for their Dad and I'm a single parent trying to figure out how to be in two places at once for sports.

Herding Chaos said...

I think there needs to be better "education" as to the real information about the Armed Services.

My Favorite (heavy with the sarcasm) is when civilians ask/tell/verify with me that he's not going to deploy again... ummm really do you have ANY idea of what's going on right now?

liberal army wife said...

LW- yes... I can just march my little ass into Casey's office and demand that he NOT have my husband deploy again, right? suuuuuuure