Sorry if I offended you by a term that is normally used in law enforcement. Most LE agencies structures follow a para-military model with their command structure. There was nothing in my comment that indicated any disdain towards another citizen.
However, I’ve seen nothing but wholesale bashing of law enforcement on this thread by posters who “demand” respect but seem to think respect doesn’t go the other way. And by the way... I WAS in the military and served in the Reserves while I was in law enforcement. Forgive me the semantics.
I was not offended, just disappointed. It’s the whole “us v them” mindset I was calling out. Referring to a fellow citizen as a civilian implies a separate status.
Para-military model or not, thinking one’s organization is something it is not is poisonous in the long run.
Police forces are a citizen’s group, not a military one, no matter the organizational structure.
A large part of the alienization between law enforcement and the public is exactly this (your own words) para-military setup.
I have no real beef with the police as a group, indeed I have many friends and acquaintances that are current and former badge wearers. I just really get annoyed by the implications and separations caused by inaccurate terminology, especially when the writer knows better.
Thank you for being one of the sheepdogs, I’ll watch for you in the fold <;-)