I have never thought mine was the only opinion or the only experiences. But, I worked in government at every level from the field to the Office of Secretary of Defense over a 32 year period. I think I have a pretty good handle on how civilians are - and it is not all the negative image that you and other people would portray. I think I always say that "in my experience" which means what it says. it's not the only experience, but it is mine. Just as your experience is not the only one either. Just because flyfisher walks through a VA office and perceives he sees someone playing computer games doesn't mean that every VA office is like that. I could talk about the bad experience I had with Alabama Power over the building of my boathouse, but I don't damn everyone that works for Alabama Power based on that experience.
Yes you had experience too, but I wish you would portray it in a more balanced way. Yes, there are jerks, there are slacker, but even you would have to admit that there are also a lot of good, committed people.
I'm proud of my service and I'm not going to change, just to conform to prevailing anti-government sentiment or the myth that all government workers are lazy slackers, which seems to the prevailing sentiment on this forum.
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