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rendall

> we (civilians)

I just want to remind everyone that police are civilians too. I also sometimes forget

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Some dictionaries seem to disagree with you:

– a person who is not a member of the police or the armed forces

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/civil...

– one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/civilian

– a person who is not on active duty with a military, naval, police, or fire fighting organization.

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/civilian

I’m a little curious, why should they be considered civilians?

> why should they be considered civilians?

Because they are. Robert Peel was insistent on exactly that point when he set up the police force in the UK. See, for instance, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peelian_principles

Edit: corrected URL

No, they are not. They are literally instruments of the government’s monopoly on violence.

I have no idea why you reference a dead politician’s antiquated analysis of the role of the police.. shit has happened since 1850, and I personally believe catholics should not be barred from parliament. Also, not everyone lives in the UK.

Edit: as an example: what’s “sir” Robert Peel’s view on facial recognition...?

Not everyone lives in America which is what most of this thread seems to be about.

No idea why you're mentioning Catholics in the UK Parliament. Unless its an attempt at discrediting the previous commenters statement.

We certainly refer to them as the civi-police in the military. Though we don't have the gun issues the US has, but that seems based on an antiquated amendment even older the Peels analysis.

> No idea why you're mentioning Catholics in the UK Parliament.

Look up Robert Peel

> Also, not everyone lives in the UK.

Also quite a substantial number of people don't live in the US. So as I said in another comment, perhaps we should all annotate our comments with information regarding the jurisdiction in which the information applies.

civilian noun

2a : one not on active duty in the armed services or not on a police or firefighting force

Why would firefighters not be civilians?

I don't know exactly, but it sounds like the word is context-dependent. During war, it means people who aren't in the military, but during peacetime it means people who aren't expected to risk their lives in more ordinary ways.

[If the jobs of firefighters seems irreproachable or lacking authority compared to military or police, then maybe it would help to remember that firefighters turned their hoses on civil rights protesters in the 60s. No doubt there are many similar examples of firefighter's behavior being clearly outside of the what is thought to be typical of civilians.]

Ah, so if they shoot me at all, it's assault with a deadly weapon, just like any other civilian

As armed representatives of the state, I would argue that they are not. They’re not military, but they’re definitely not civilians.

Are you confusing it with the word "citizen"?

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