Whenever I tell someone that my husband is in the 82nd ABN, that is almost invariably the first thing out of their mouth...unless I'm talking to a military veteran or family member of a veteran. It's revolting that they think of my husband that way before anything else, especially considering that the folks who do it love to state how "non-judgemental" they are. I even had my brother ask me, in a state of utmost curiosity, at the dinner table one night, when I visited home. He's almost 30, BTW, so he's definitely old enough to know better.
The fascination of some people with the intensely personal and private is indicative of our loss of manners and respect for others.
"The fascination of some people with the intensely personal and private is indicative of our loss of manners and respect for others."
Absolutely. I don't know why the 'answer' is being debated here...the issue is the kid's sense of self entitlement and lack of regard for others feelings. It didn't bother the kid that the soldier might be embarassed. Didn't even cross his mind. And if it did...it certainly didn't matter to the kid. The world revolves around "me" and what "I" want, in today's youth.
"The fascination of some people with the intensely personal and private is indicative of our loss of manners and respect for others."
Absolutely.
And as you had mentioned, there is this morbid curiosity of those who have no military or combat experience. Most are not malicious when asking the question; just incredibly stupid and rude.
I have a friend who's a combat veteran. He came to see my Cub Scouts to share about his adventures in the middle east. While he held their absolute attention for 2 hours, amazingly not one of them asked the "how many have you killed" question.