I seriously offended a soldier regarding Remembrance day, but I don't know why

[Speaker for the Dead]

Strong Language Warning

Setting: outside of a bar, 10:30 p.m. today, Remembrance Day.

I was complaining to my two friends. I'll try to transcribe it as best as I remember:

Originally Posted by me

Man, I was choked! The church I work at didn't have any kind of Remembrance Day thing, so I had to observe my own minute of silence--well, three, since the clock wasn't really trustworthy.

At that point, a burly, very drunk, man in uniform begins swearing at me:

Originally Posted by Man in Uniform

What the fuck? Your own fucking three minutes of silence? I should fucking kick your ass!

This went on for about fifteen seconds. Luckily, his friend was trying to calm him down, and I didn't have to face a physical conflict. During his tirade, I stood, nonplussed, with my mouth open. I didn't know what to say. When his friend had defused it enough for us to walk away with provoking him, he continued to rant, loudly.

Additional information:
- we're both white
- he called me both "rich" and "faggot"
- I was dressed in jeans and a black jacket, with no insignia whatsoever

So... I'm in the dark. My complaint was about how people didn't honour soldiers, so I did so myself. Yet he was violently angry. Help me understand, so I don't risk being attacked again.

[9thFloor]

"What the fuck would you know about any of it, you rich bleeding-heart faggot? Don't shit on my sacred stuff with your milquetoast namby pamby, meaningless 3-minute thing that you then arrogantly call 'your own' as if anything you've ever had has been your own from the TV in your bedroom growing up to the fucking klj8hu3d=dshif412340945!$%@..........." <falls down>

I think that's pretty much his frame of mind.

My great grandmother used to get angry when I'd say "Jesus" in discussing Jesus (in a completely respectful, religious way incidentally -- I was a devout xian at the time).

Some people get a gut level recoiling and anger at the mere mention of some things out of other people's mouths like they should know better than to try to speak out of turn (or at all) about some things.

Lower your voice would be my advice if you want to avoid other idiot drunks like that.

(The president of spain telling chavez to 'shut up' seemed to me to be somewhat similar in some ways).

[Rasa]

Originally Posted by Speaker for the Dead

At that point, a burly, very drunk, man in uniform begins swearing at me...

He would have gone off at you had he overheard you say "The sky is blue." Don't fret over it, it had nothing to do with his being a soldier. Very drunk people aren't known for being rational.

[A.R. Cane]

Originally Posted by Rasa

He would have gone off at you had he overheard you say "The sky is blue." Don't fret over it, it had nothing to do with his being a soldier. Very drunk people aren't known for being rational.

I would agree, but they are often best given the benefit of any doubt. Drunkeness and reason are not necessarily compatible.

[Hostile Dialect]

Originally Posted by 9thFloor

(The president of spain telling chavez to 'shut up' seemed to me to be somewhat similar in some ways).

Anyone got a YouTube clip?

[Ellef]

He sounds completely nuts, and I don't think you did anything wrong.

[don't ask]

I was having sex with someone on the 11th of the 11th. The pips sounded on the radio to signal 11AM and she said to me, "Is it disrespectful that I am going to come now?"

It took me a moment to catch on...and then another to catch up.

[Colophon]

Originally Posted by don't ask

I was having sex with someone on the 11th of the 11th. The pips sounded on the radio to signal 11AM and she said to me, "Is it disrespectful that I am going to come now?"

As long as she did it quietly, I see no problem with that. Think of it as a celebration of that hard-won freedom to have Sunday-morning sex.

[don't ask]

Now that is a cause worth fighting for.