I just don't get it
I find the term "friendly fire" completely mind-boggling. Isn't firing a gun inherently, you know, not friendly? I think target practice is even pretty malicious. I mean, even though the guy is made out of paper, you're still trying to shoot him in the heart. And any other time one shoots a gun is generally to try and kill something living. Or at least scare the shit out of the living thing. Again, not real friendly.
I understand that "friendly fire" is meant to describe a situation in which one is shot accidentally by someone on their "side." But I find this to be perhaps the most unfriendly of all fires. At least when someone you yourself are trying to kill shoots at you, it's only because they have to...or were told to...or whatever. But when someone on your "side" shoots you...well shit. That's pretty un-fucking-friendly. Weren't you supposed to be on the same team?
I just read an article about former NFLer Pat Tillman who quit playing football and joined the Army after 9/11. He was killed in April of last year because of friendly-fire, but his family and friends were told otherwise. Officers reported at the time that Tillman was killed by enemy fire. They even destroyed evidence to the contrary.
So the person this really made me think about was Pat Tillman's mom. Do you think she cared whether or not her son was killed by "enemies" or "friends?" Probably not. She just cared that he's gone. No need to put some silly word in front of the important one---fire.
I understand that "friendly fire" is meant to describe a situation in which one is shot accidentally by someone on their "side." But I find this to be perhaps the most unfriendly of all fires. At least when someone you yourself are trying to kill shoots at you, it's only because they have to...or were told to...or whatever. But when someone on your "side" shoots you...well shit. That's pretty un-fucking-friendly. Weren't you supposed to be on the same team?
I just read an article about former NFLer Pat Tillman who quit playing football and joined the Army after 9/11. He was killed in April of last year because of friendly-fire, but his family and friends were told otherwise. Officers reported at the time that Tillman was killed by enemy fire. They even destroyed evidence to the contrary.
So the person this really made me think about was Pat Tillman's mom. Do you think she cared whether or not her son was killed by "enemies" or "friends?" Probably not. She just cared that he's gone. No need to put some silly word in front of the important one---fire.