General Chat

hi blue ,lovely to see you hun,seems a bit harsh,if he was just saying what he heard.xx

hi, He should not be sacked as he has only said what he heard, he didnt say it was his opinion, being married to a military man I know this is how the army can be, whether it is right or wrong, Caz x

obviously,they think he should abide by the three monkeys theory,...i didnt see...i dont speak...i dont hear...

I think he was telling it as it is........ you dont get instant reaction,or obedience, by '' Come on Now, be a good lad, just once more round the square!!!!' the training is to make a soldier react instantly... Duck or die........!! A fighter pilot training a pupil, will say '' If I say ''Eject, Eject'' dont say What?, because I will be gone!!!'' Bob

Have just seen on the news that Patrick Mercer ( I believe an ex army Colonel of 25 years standing ) has just been sacked by David Cameron for his remarks made in a press interview. Basically he said that during his long military career , on such places as the assault course , he heard comments such as .... Come on you Ginger Bas...d Come on you Fat Bas...d and Come on you Black Bas...d being shouted at the various soldiers undergoing their training. For this interview , he has been sacked for racist comments. As an ex Military man of some 13 plus years and as an ex Police Officer of over 20 years , I have my own views on this case. What do you think ? Mike

Mike , me and OH agree totally, When Graeme left Iraq the 7th Scots took over and were honoured to be called Jock, PC is the cause of so many problems, Caz xxx

Thank God for some sanity then Caz ..... and it doesnt surprise me at all that it comes from a service family. Glad your OH made it back safely. Mike

Hi Caz You probably understand then the point I am making ......... these expressions are totally commonplace in both the military and the other uniformed services ie police , fire etc Do we really want to be recruiting for our armed services , police etc people who are frightened to say the word Jock or Paddy !!! Indeed if these particular expressions are now considered to be incorrect , how do I address a couple of good mates of mine .... Jock Daniels and Paddy Kerr .... THEIR choice of names !!! This political correctness idiocy has got to stop surely ??? Mike

Have been waiting for the first 'PC' person to vent their displeasure at this posting. Ahhh well , no doubt it will happen after I leave lol !!!!!!!! Mike

Hi MIke, Yes a known fact these expressions and more were commonplace, some 25 years ago and beyond, and if can be gotten away with used today, ,but since the ordinary man in the street has learned he does have civil rights and desreves the respect as the next person,*he will not tolerate it nor should he,,, But if we are talking of 25 years ago?then it certainly was accepted as part of the training as any service person will tell you,,and this was well known fact of life even in the government,,so why he was sacked is very plain to see,---***Whitewash**

BLUE I THINK THOSE WORD WERE WHAT GOT MY DAD THROUGH WW2,[soz shouting] he fought in dunkirk then burmaxx

If it weren't for families like yours Caz , this country would have gone under half a century ago !!! I'm past all that now , but I've been there and by God our armed services have my total regard and blessing. Mike

Interesting to read this from BBC news online, Mike. Leroy Hutchinson, a black former corporal who served with Mr Mercer for 12 years, said: 'He never tolerated racism in the battalion and not a single one of his men would consider him to be racist.' Mr Hutchinson told the BBC: 'In the forces... name-calling - whether you be black, white, ginger, red, brown - it is part of the establishment.' He added: 'It's not meant and it doesn't come across from an individual as a racist comment. It's just part of the culture. 'When you wear that uniform, it is what goes on and it's been happening for a long, long time.' Mr Mercer said: 'The offence I have obviously caused is deeply regretted. 'I had the privilege to command soldiers from across the East Midlands of whom many came from racial minorities. 'It was a matter of great pride to me that racial minorities prospered inside the unit, and, indeed at one stage all of my company sergeant majors were black. 'What I have said is clearly misjudged and I can only apologise if I have embarrassed in any way those fine men whom I commanded. 'I have no hesitation in resigning my frontbench appointment.'

Thankyou mike, I am immensely proud of my husband and of all our forces,true british courage and determination at its best, Caz xx

Hi Joy , lovely to hear from you again. I suspect the answers to this posting will come from two different camps ..... Those whose families and themselves actually stood up to be counted and those who like to voice what they believe are the currently acceptable opinions to have. For anyone who believes that these sort of expressions died out in the services etc 25 years ago .......... then they speak without any knowledge of the subject. mike

Thanks Mike, that means a lot, Caz x

Thank you, Mike. My grandfather served in the Met from 1909 to 1934, and I have friends in the police.

its smashing to see you here blue.ive always felt its to toughen up the soldiers.and the bloke seemed a genuine man.xx

Hi Marion I think your answer probably says it all. Mike Ps. My father landed on D-Day and was shot in the leg as his Naval Commando unit stormed the beach. As he lay there , a Canadian Seargent ran past , tossed him a magazine , and said, 'There you go you lazy limey bastard , read this while your waiting.' My father never forgot that ..... and do you really believe he objected to being called a limey bastard !!!!!!!!

dont worry mm ..........i knew blue ment me.