"We" and "Our" as it relates to civil government and the military

[Ernie]

I'm happy to say "We Americans" or "We U.S. citizens" as a population identifier without feeling any attachment to what the government leaders or the military are doing or saying.

[Ernie]

There is a song that our music people like to sing. It talks about 'winning this nation back'. Some others are also bothered by this, but the fact that it seems to be accepted by many to sing this, is, I think, a bad sign.

Wife: your music people?

Relating to the OP question, I think sometimes it comes off annoying when people constantly are correcting others (mostly of non-Mennonite background) about using words like ‘our’. It reminds me a lot of people who freak out because somebody uses the word kids instead of children, or how somebody immediately corrected us when we used the word pacifist when we first went to a conservative Mennonite church, although that sort of makes more sense.

Often, there are no extra connotations meant by the term ‘our’ or ‘us,’ at least not by those who weren’t raised knowing the nuances. It’s just an easy phrase, because we happen to live and possibly be citizens of the United States. It might make sense to tell people of the assumptions that will be made if they use that phrase, but just like I don’t think the majority of children’s/kids’ futures are directed by which word you use (maybe different if you come from Anabaptist background), I don’t think you can automatically judge the mindset someone comes from if they happen to use the phrase ‘our’ or ‘us’ when relating to United States events.

Edit: just saw my husband’s post. Still think this is relevant

Excellent point. Thanks for the reminder.

Yes. Thanks Soloist and wife for this!

[Soloist]

I came home the other week and my boys excitedly told me that "we are bombing Iran" and I told them no, "WE" are not doing it. I understand that not everyone that uses that language means it literally, but I choose to avoid it.

Wife: yeah, that really bothers me, and we’ve had some of that too. We don’t vote and we go to a church that doesn’t vote, but it does make me wonder how much eschatology influences how people feel about Iran, for example. I certainly don’t agree with their current government or its practices, but I feel like we should be able to at least sympathize or understand where they might be coming from. Just automatically assuming they/Russia are on the wrong side of end times prophecy right now, and ‘we’ are naturally the good guys, makes it hard to have compassion. I have sometimes seen more of the we/ us mentality you are talking about at our school than I would feel comfortable with

[ohio jones]

There is a song that our music people like to sing. It talks about 'winning this nation back'. Some others are also bothered by this, but the fact that it seems to be accepted by many to sing this, is, I think, a bad sign.

Given the nationality of the author(s), "this nation" means Northern Ireland. I prefer to edit that line to "win the nations back" although "back" is still a little iffy. But I wouldn't want one line to detract excessively from what is otherwise a good song that uses "we" and "our" as it relates to the church.

[JimFoxvog]

I came home the other week and my boys excitedly told me that "we are bombing Iran" and I told them no, "WE" are not doing it. I understand that not everyone that uses that language means it literally, but I choose to avoid it.

If one is paying for it to be done, shouldn't one take responsibility?

[Ernie]

I came home the other week and my boys excitedly told me that "we are bombing Iran" and I told them no, "WE" are not doing it. I understand that not everyone that uses that language means it literally, but I choose to avoid it.

If one is paying for it to be done, shouldn't one take responsibility?

Not if it is coercively taken from me.

[R7ehr]

I came home the other week and my boys excitedly told me that "we are bombing Iran" and I told them no, "WE" are not doing it. I understand that not everyone that uses that language means it literally, but I choose to avoid it.

If one is paying for it to be done, shouldn't one take responsibility?

Do you lie awake at night with the weight of responsibility of all the dollars you’ve spent in the course of say, the last year?
And worrying helplessly over what they are being used for currently?

[barnhart]

There is a song that our music people like to sing. It talks about 'winning this nation back'. Some others are also bothered by this, but the fact that it seems to be accepted by many to sing this, is, I think, a bad sign.

Maybe this is an example of what Chester Weaver keeps saying on Anabaptist Perspectives, "We have not told our own story."

[Wesleyb]

I came home the other week and my boys excitedly told me that "we are bombing Iran" and I told them no, "WE" are not doing it. I understand that not everyone that uses that language means it literally, but I choose to avoid it.

If one is paying for it to be done, shouldn't one take responsibility?

I see your point, but as Ernie mentioned I don’t really have a choice and I don’t usually say “we” when talking about other things the government is doing. “We are building a new interstate highway around Los Angeles”, “We now recognize gay marriages”, “We are rolling back fuel mileage requirements for cars.”

[barnhart]

I came home the other week and my boys excitedly told me that "we are bombing Iran" and I told them no, "WE" are not doing it. I understand that not everyone that uses that language means it literally, but I choose to avoid it.

If one is paying for it to be done, shouldn't one take responsibility?

I see your point, but as Ernie mentioned I don’t really have a choice and I don’t usually say “we” when talking about other things the government is doing. “We are building a new interstate highway around Los Angeles”, “We now recognize gay marriages”, “We are rolling back fuel mileage requirements for cars.”

How about saying "we" for things you like or are proud of and "them" for stuff you don't like?