Gag me with a spoon.
I know cops.
I know soldiers.
I don't know any firepeople. Maybe they really are great people, I don't know.
But cops? Bah. ::grump::
Picture this. You're an average American kid. Your whole life, you've been told you can go to the police when you're in trouble, or if somebody touches you, whatever. So you're watching the news with your family, and there's your high school on the TV. Turn's out there's been an undercover police officer at the school for a few months. Everyone figures out who it was, even if they don't say. What the hell, man? Sure, the undercover doesn't force anyone to buy drugs (not this time), but damn, way to make me trust cops.
And my dad's a cop.
And I love my relatives, I do, honestly. Uncle Danny went to Iraq for both wars, and I hope he doesn't have to go back. But I've never noticed a real patriotic or heroic air about him.
They're human, too.
And I read this article about firemen saying don't call them heroes, this is their job, and they get off on the adrenaline rush.
And it's subtitle has the word I've been looking for this entire post "firefighters". (Hard to find - so many things about Sept 11th!)
Anyways, it seems we're in for reruns. Well, I'm a ditz, so while I think I recognize this comic, I don't know when it appeared. (And there's nothing in it to make it pop up in a tag search, though I almost added "gag me with a spoon" tonight.)
6 comments:
I shall preface this by saying that I come from a military family: my dad was in the army, my grandfather, my great-grandfather, three uncles, two aunts, and at least three cousins, and now my brother is in training to become a civil affairs specialist. I myself was born in Germany whilst my dad was driving tanks around.
THAT SAID... it bothers me also that all of those special service people (firefighters, police officers, military personnel) are so unabashedly called "heroes" whether they want to or not. Do the vast majority of them make great personal sacrifices in order to protect a bunch of strangers? Probably! I appreciate that greatly! But it is a job. And it doesn't mean that people in other professions can't be "real heroes" either... doctors, anyone? Teachers? Friggin' farmers, for that matter? Etc, etc.
And that being said, I can support the troops without supporting the war. Also, two out of those three cousins are dicks. (The oldest one matured a little after being in Afghanistan, which I wish would happen to all the soldiers who deployed there.)
Arrrgh. Sorry. A little rant. It's late. Back to light-hearted observations about lazy old white people!
I know where you're coming from.
My family is a military family. Maybe my grandparents' generation joined out of patriotism, but my mom and her siblings joined to get a job and get the hell out of the middle of nowhere, new mexico.
Of course, aside from one uncle, they're all out, so nobody saw combat.
I remember last Veteran's Day. My idiot cousin joined the Army. Why? He'd messed up at school and at Job Corps. (His dad is my Uncle Danny.) We assumed Daniel would follow in his dad (and aunt's and uncles') footsteps and join the army.
He joined the Guard. (His dad and step-mom are in the Guard.)
::headdesk::
When you have problems at home, you join the full-blown Army, so you have a job. And a different place to live. Not the frickin' Guard at the age of 18!
Eek, I'm rambling.
Oh well, we all know people in the military, and seeing as how they're people and not patriotic robot heroes, there are plenty of stories like this.
KT - Odd question that only counts if you're an American around my age - have you tried to give blood?
Yeah, thanks to my parents, my sister and I can't give blood. And we want to. At least I do.
I looked up the restrictions on donating blood and the years (early 90s) and locations seemed to be stalking me - military bases in Germany and Italy, among other European countries.
The two cousins closest to me in age were born in Germany before and after the first Gulf War. (The aforementioned Daniel and his younger sister. Their mother is German.)
Woah, oversharing!
My sister was born in Italy in 1991 and told people she had an Italian accent, but really, it was just a regular speech impediment.
I must say, the constant moving and idea of living in Europe doesn't sound very Plugger-ish.
I think they're all talk.
Idol (n.): 1. a. An image used as an object of worship. b. A false god. 2. One that is adored, often blindly or excessively. 3. Something visible but without substance.
Why is the Soldier-Plugger wearing an ice bucket on his head?
Huh... I don't know. I havnen't ever given blood, partially out of laziness and partially because I know I'd be rejected for iron deficiency or something. Maybe I can't! I better look that up. Oh, Germany, you're more trouble than you're worth.
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