Quote:
Originally Posted by akv
Perhaps in an alternate universe or if you live in a bubble. The power of symbols and perception in human society is a constant, for better or worse all of us are under constant scrutiny, with ramifications for our words and actions.
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I respect what you're saying, and I *almost* agree with the first sentence.
I come from a different universe, through time and space. (OK, time).
If I weren't fearless, I'd find that second sentence almost scary. I do find it inaccurate and offer the below.
I drove a wrecker, on call at night, while I was in H.S. Took a call and turned over a flipped pickup truck that had seven very intoxicated teens, including two of my cousins.
One of the passengers was crippled by the accident, losing the use of his left arm and seriously affecting the use of his left leg. Later, he became handicapped, then disadvantaged, then impeded, then challenged. After that he was disabled and then differently abled. Wait, maybe he was challenged between being disabled and then differently abled. It's impossible to keep track.
During a long overdue HS reunion I sat down with an old friend and Johnny Walker. We decided that there were groups of Ivy League sophomores jerking American chains to see how obedient we were, possibly Yalies changing us to one term, then challenging Harvard to affect a faster change in "approved terminology" than the one they had instituted. The more Johnny Walker added to the conversation, the more we leaned toward figuring it was a conspiracy by liberal professors.
The following day with Jim Beam, we observed tradition and blamed everything on
women. (though I am still wary of Yalies).
I am one of the vanilla majority. Grandpa looked at the back end of a mule for 12 hours during the summer while grandma breast-fed the babies. They didn't think of alternating duties.
Sorry about the lack of advancement opportunities for women during that era.
I wore the uniform of the US Army for 12 years. I did not operate Elmira Prison and did not fire a weapon at My Lai. Neither did I drop bombs on Hiroshima or Nagasaki.
During my combat time, I delivered prisoners wherever I was told, even to the infamous "White Mice". I think of them as the Vietnamese SS. YMMV.
All my baseball caps say "Army" along with whatever other witticism or boast that's included. I even put on the old field jacket as an "identity assist" when at gatherings where the vets often wander off together for "were you there when" sessions.
The symbol means what it means to ME.
And, I claim the right to be just as disobedient as the "poor me" groups.
Any person who decides to be offended by past events in my army's history....Anyone (especially reporters) who decides that
MY symbols mean I am proud that prisoners starved, and that civilians have been killed...
Can look at the skull and crossbones on my hat until my fist obscures his vision.
