Wait a second - - are you serious? Those terms you list are official terms. They are categories. It is like calling a nurse - - "nurse"! Or a rookie "rookie".
I'm not sure "Plebe", "Selectee", "Candidate" and "Initiate" = "Half N****"
You're right, I never was in the military. However, I do have up-close experience with the military, having worked in the late 80's- early 90's as a TS/SCI SIGINT Analyst with the NSA at Fort Meade in an office that was 50% military.
And I can categorically state to you that, while "Plebe", Selectee", etc. was perfectly fine addresses for these guys, "Half-N****" was not.
That's what you got from reading the post - are you serious?
Reviewing what I actually typed, first, you claim to know the military with some ridiculous, conclusory post, and that is why I replied. That is the only quoted portion from your post. Again, test your reading comprehension before offering your shock and amazement to the delight of the readers.
Second, I offered you two actual definitions of hazing and a general discussion of that subject in the context of the military as to how it can be difficult to draw lines in discussions of appropriate and inappropriate behavior. The military post-1992 has spent substantial time and effort addressing the subject, which was why I originally offered the discussion. Also apparently lost on you, as you drone on about a subject I never really discussed in offering the brilliant observation as to how racial terms are not comparable to status terms. Give yourself a gold star for that earth-shaking contribution. Too bad that wasn't based on what I stated, but I'm sure it needed to be said for some reason.
In the end, my point was you are talking out your arse on a subject you literally know nothing about - the military. Now, you offer additional pearls of wisdom on how people are "perfectly fine" with these terms, having never lived a first-year at the service academy or participated in any initiation ceremony in the military (by the way, look up 'Plebe' - it means common, vulgar, etc. - too bad we in the Navy don't educate our people on traditions - but hey, it's official so shouldn't be read as demeaning). As you apparently fail to grasp the point of my original response, and appear incapable of grasping the breadth of your own ignorance on the topic by compounding it here, try using google and searching 'suicides' and "service academies." If you can't find the answer to why your conclusory statement is patently ignorant, IM me and I will enlighten you. Or keep assuming you somehow know the unknowable, that you understand the military life having never lived it and keep saying how life is swell for all in these environments, from your desk vantage of course.
I do not demean the contribution of civilian support and accept its valuable contributions, but it is important to note that, whatever you believe you were, civilians do not live the military life. Do not assume you know what the military life is based on time sitting at a desk on post as a civilian, or having heard stories from those in the service. You don't. I was trying to politely correct you on your military statement, but now let's make this clear for purposes of this discussion to establish where we are coming from in our respective positions on this topic. Me? ROTC 1987, commissioned 1991. You? Desk. Me? 10 years active duty and 10+ years reserve to the present day with deployments to every major conflict in the 1990s and in the current conflict. You? Desk. With that said, I will politely ask that you stop offering generalized statements on a topic you obviously know nothing about. The more you discuss it, the more foolish you sound. If you want to discuss this further, feel free to send me a message and I will explain it to you to your heart's content.
