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Ignorant Civies

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Blindspot said:
Do you mean while on public transportation? We used to do training in the Don Valley, High Park and that park across from Fort York with webbing and rifles. I always wondered what went through the minds of picnicing civillians who looked up from their ham and cheese on bagel to see a fully camouflaged soldier hiding in a bush beside them.

Training in the Don Valley and HIgh Park stopped a year or two before I joined, but I've heard some wonderful stories about it.  The order we received was basically, if you're not going to drive to the armories, make sure your not wearing your webbing.  So on the TTC, or walking down the street, it was forbidden.  I'm pretty sure about 90% of the troops made sure that they "didn't hear" about that though.
 
Michael Dorosh said:
If you meet someone who says they're from Newfoundland, but can't tell you what Beaumont Hamel is - they're lying.

Some feel tiny Newfoundland never recovered.   While they sent artillerymen over in World War Two, never again have they sent a formed unit of infantry out on operations.

There are two remembrancedays in Newfoundland. November 11th, and July 1st. The sacrifice made during the first and second world war was tremendous. Two generations of men were lost as was eventually Englands first colony. There are a number of historians who have concluded that Newfoundland's dire economic situation since confederation is directly attributed to the loss of skill and human resources caused by the two great wars. It is especially troubling when CFAs (come from aways) tell "Newfie jokes." Considering the character of those men and what they did, you can appreciate why some would get their backs up.

The sacrifices made during the first and second wold war are not dusty words in a book, but rather rather visible monuments without which we wouldn't be able to live normal lives. Many the provincial ferries are named after battles fought(Gallipoli, Beaumont Hamel, the Caribou etc...)

Memorial University, my alma motter is so named so we never forget.

I was in far Eastern Poland a couple years ago and I was staying in a small bed and breakfast. I met two Polish veterans from the second wold war. We sat and talked. Sharing our own history and experience- getting drunk on Polish Lemon Grass vodka- and lamenting the Brits and what they did to us.


Now when I was a young man I carried me pack
And I lived the free life of the rover.
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback,
Well, I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915, my country said, "Son,
It's time you stop ramblin', there's work to be done."
So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun,
And they marched me away to the war.

And the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As the ship pulled away from the quay,
And amidst all the cheers, the flag waving, and tears,
We sailed off for Gallipoli.
And how well I remember that terrible day,
How our blood stained the sand and the water;
And of how in that hell that they call Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter.
Johnny Turk, he was waitin', he primed himself well;
He showered us with bullets, and he rained us with shell --
And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell,
Nearly blew us right back to Australia.
But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
When we stopped to bury our slain,
Well, we buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs,
Then we started all over again.
And those that were left, well, we tried to survive
In that mad world of blood, death and fire.
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
Though around me the corpses piled higher.
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head,
And when I woke up in me hospital bed
And saw what it had done, well, I wished I was dead --
Never knew there was worse things than dying.
For I'll go no more "Waltzing Matilda,"
All around the green bush far and free --
To hump tents and pegs, a man needs both legs,
No more "Waltzing Matilda" for me.
So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed,
And they shipped us back home to Australia.
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane,
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla.
And as our ship sailed into Circular Quay,
I looked at the place where me legs used to be,
And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me,
To grieve, to mourn and to pity.
But the band played "Waltzing Matilda,"
As they carried us down the gangway,
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared,
Then they turned all their faces away.
And so now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me.
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march,
Reviving old dreams of past glory,
And the old men march slowly, all bones stiff and sore,
They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask meself the same question.
But the band plays "Waltzing Matilda,"
And the old men still answer the call,
But as year follows year, more old men disappear
Someday, no one will march there at all.
Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda.
Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong,
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda with me?

 
Bograt Memorial is my alma matter too. Believe it or not while serving with the Regiment and going there, I was actually briefly a member of the MUSE staff. Someone found out   I was doing editorial cartoons for the Evening Telegram and one of the granola brigade not knowing of my military ties asked me to join the MUSE and do "free" cartoons for them.

Well that exercise lasted about a week. Cruise missile testing in Alberta was going on and naturally the MUSE was against it, so they came out with an editorial and I was told to draw the cartoon. They really did not expect a pro cruise missile cartoon I guess >:D >:D

About then they discovered I was one of those "warmongering, facist, chauvinist, racist, baby burners" that hung out in the TSC.

BTW Michael while I can usually count the number of mistakes you make her on the fingers of one hand and still have enough left over to type, this time I got ya. The Royal Newfoundland Regiment was actually granted their Royal Prefix in 1917 for their actions at Cambrai by King George V. The only Empire and/or Commonwealth Regiment to be so honoured in this manner while still engaged in hostilities.

They also suffered the most casualties of any unit on July 1st 1916. Only 65 men answered roll call that evening.

 
Well here in Halifax during BMQ we got mooned by a few teens during PT one morning. It was quite funny, and on the same day we were running around the commons and people leaned out of their cars and yelled really loud "you bunch of army fag$" it was rather amusing to witness ignorance at it's best.
 
Well I was going to start a new topic but I found this one and thought I would start it up against instead of spamming and creating more.

So ya where do I start, I've had both good and bad experiences while being in uniform infront of civies

Let me start off by saying i'm in my last year off High School and i've been in the reserves for a year and a bit. So I must say its hard being in a school environment when people know your in the reserves. A lot of the topics that come up in school are "should we stay in Afghanistan" and I always give my opinion and i've had people call me baby killer, tax waster, and what not. And its sad because even the teachers tell the children how the military is pointless and what not. A lot of people think i'm really violent *funny because i'm never hit anyone in my life* and that i'm a ruthless killer because I want to serve in Afghanistan.

Another instance is when I was walking on redeau street and some teenagers went "Ten-Hut" over and over again..of course I just kept walking. But living in Ottawa I must say vastly people do understand the military..except when i'm called a cadet.

oh and I love the "OH ARE U GOING TO IRAQ"..when were not even in iraq
 
I've got a mixed reaction travelling in Montreal (in Kelowna it was more like wtf...because nobody sees military types around)....I've had a few people yell at me, a few laugh. The thing is I really never know what they're saying. I mostly travel in DEU...and its definately a different response than when I took the bus/metro in Cadpat.
 
As a civilian I regret that you would be treated that way.

The military is a public service like the Police, Fire Dept and even teachers.
Teachers who suggest that the military deserves less respect than other public
servants simply do not know what they are talking about.
By all means, tell any teacher like this to read a book..... ;D

Anyone who wears their countrys uniform deserves respect.
Anyone who wears THIS country's uniform deserves alot of respect.
And many Canadians agree.

Please, don't let the ill-informed get you down.
 
I think ignorant people will always be there and in every society.  They can be ignorant toward the military, immigrants, other issues, etc.  I'm not in the military yet but I have always had a lot of respect to members of the armed forces regardless of their original motive in joining (some could be selfless service to the country others could be...etc) and regardless of whether I agree with the current course of military action or not.

In the case of Canada (or perhaps big countries like Canada with pluralistic society), we are not doing too bad.  After all, we have not encountered for more than a generations, situations in which the survival of the entire country is at stake and the military saves the day and brings stability and order in the end.  There just isn't this overwhelming opportunity for the population to be immersed in the kind of atmosphere in which the military plays a positive role and can be appreciated.  In addition, being a pluralistic society, Canada is probably more immune to ignorant citizens than some more homogeneous countries.

All in all, ignorance stems from lack of information or disinformation or simply laziness to form informed opinions.  Perhaps, those in uniform should pity those civies making themselves targets of laughter or anger.
 
I feel like I should apologize here on behalf of all civilians, well not all, just those who conform to the antics you've described.  This is a group I happen to belong to (not for lack of trying not to  :().  Some of them have no clue and the rest of them are just plain idiots.  You deserve thanks and respect.  My civvie 2 cents.
D2
 
D Squared said:
I feel like I should apologize here on behalf of all civilians, well not all, just those who conform to the antics you've described.  This is a group I happen to belong to (not for lack of trying not to  :().  Some of them have no clue and the rest of them are just plain idiots.  You deserve thanks and respect.  My civvie 2 cents.
D2
I meant the civvie group, not the idiots  ;D
 
The next time you get this kind of grief in the classroom, ask everybody to stand up. Then ask all the women to sit down. Then those who want to be lawyers, doctors, teachers, journalists etc. Ask those who immigrated to Canada to sit down. Keep going until only one or two people are standing. Point out that these are the only ones who don't benefit from having a military.
 
I've never been called "baby killer" or been told to "get out of Iraq".  Maybe its my rugged good looks or I've just been lucky not to have run ins with these people.
 
Meh. Whenever I get the Hippy vibe from someone and we start going down the whole "get Canada out of Iraq" thing, I just ask them if they want the Canadian army out of Iraq? Then I just do the "(I dream of)Jeannie" crossed arms and head nod and say: Done!

 
I hate the Ignorant versions of what I am (Civie). Even yesterday, I had to explain to my class (of 6), that we are not in face in Iraq, and then that we are not doing Americas work because they are too lazy, and that we are not in Afghanistan for their oil, and that we are in there to make the lives of the Afghan people better. Needless to say, my NDP of a teacher was afraid to make any comment on her beliefs, so I must have done something good on my part ;D ;)


ModlrMike said:
The next time you get this kind of grief in the classroom, ask everybody to stand up. Then ask all the women to sit down. Then those who want to be lawyers, doctors, teachers, journalists etc. Ask those who immigrated to Canada to sit down. Keep going until only one or two people are standing. Point out that these are the only ones who don't benefit from having a military.
I thank you. I will use this next time ;D
 
slowmode said:
Well I was going to start a new topic but I found this one and thought I would start it up against instead of spamming and creating more.

So ya where do I start, I've had both good and bad experiences while being in uniform infront of civies

Let me start off by saying i'm in my last year off High School and i've been in the reserves for a year and a bit. So I must say its hard being in a school environment when people know your in the reserves.

Just out of Curiosity, what HS do you go to?
 
ModlrMike said:
The next time you get this kind of grief in the classroom, ask everybody to stand up. Then ask all the women to sit down. Then those who want to be lawyers, doctors, teachers, journalists etc. Ask those who immigrated to Canada to sit down. Keep going until only one or two people are standing. Point out that these are the only ones who don't benefit from having a military.

Ah , just thought I would mention that some of us are immigrants ...and we serve our new home and country in the military , in fact NONE of my friends all Canadian born and bred, serve Canada in uniform at present or have done so in the past, except one who is a police officer, yet they have received all the benefits and advantages bestowed upon them by virtue of there birth.

The regiment that I`m part of has quite a few immigrants in fact.

Love the comebacks though.
 
What comebacks (funny or serious) have you used with stupid civilian comments.

I thought I would start a thread dedicated to this subject as there must be quite a few gems out there that can be used .
 
That would kind of depend on what the civilian in question said, who they were, and the circumstances... (perhaps you could elaborate?)
 
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