Minor peeve

[cjsmith]

Minor peeve: people who are not military, police, or firefighters using the word "civilians" to describe those-who-are-not-them in a self-serving, I'm-better way.

I'm fairly content when I see it used in a way that just sort of looks like the writer couldn't figure out how to say "outsider" because he'd forgotten there was a word "outsider". That's just somebody being a bit dorky, and God knows I have enough dorkiness myself. I forget words all the time.

The peeve for me is people who use it to puff themselves up somehow, like they're extra total macho cool because those OTHER people are CIVILIANS. To me, that kind of puffing up is valid for -- yet almost never bragged about by -- folks who put their lives on the line in some seriously shitty situations in order to serve or save or protect others. Don't try to fake that status with this ex-military gal. It no worky.

Comments

[klwalton.livejournal.com]

This is a rant for another day, when I haven't had three glasses of wine on an empty stomach on top of a good-ending-in-shitty day and don't have to be up at 6 AM, but, honestly? I have a really hard time with "mundanes". *And* "civilians".

Because, and I know you know, I have so many friends in the Press who *have* put their lives on the line in order to serve (and we can have the discussion of what it means "to serve" when one is a member of The Press, if you want, but I think you know), who would *never* call non-Press people "civilians". I also have a child of my body who is probably heading for the Sandbox early next year as a Marine. *I* am a civilian. I've never covered a war zone. I've never served in the military. But if anyone would like to talk to me about how Tim put his life on the line more than once as a member of The Press in a war zone...

I'm ranting, I realize. Because, honestly? He would never refer to anyone as a "civilian" in contrast to himself. And yet? He put himself in harm's way.

I think I'm agreeing with you :).

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

I figured (kind of hoped, actually) you would weigh in with your thoughts on this. I too get the sense we're essentially in agreement. Sort of like daffyd (firefighter and EMT) said above: the good ones don't brag.