Contentious Discussion

JReacher1

Silvertabby said:

JReacher1 said:

I don't think anyone really cares that much. 
If a bloke who is 99 years old and is raising millions for the NHS wants to refer to himself by the rank he earned in WW2 then I am not going to complain.

It does appear that he has a big garden though so I assume he is reasonably affluent himself.  

But does he refer to himself as Captain?  Suspect that it's the media who started this, after finding that he was a WW2 veteran.  They would have no doubt referred to him as 'Sgt Tom' had that been the case.

His twitter account calls himself captain

DoaM

And you believe he set that up himself?

JReacher1

DoaM said:

And you believe he set that up himself?

I think his daughter did it for him. 

Petriix

Probably more contentious is that people are celebrating a 99 year old enduring a marathon to make up for a small portion of the systematic underfunding of the NHS rather than hold the government to account. Charity is not a valid funding model for one of the most important services in our society and any move towards that direction should be view with trepidation. 

TripleH

I remember my first job (in local government) there was a book dictionary size and probably just as thick listing the correct way you should address people in possession of a certain title or honour. 
Agree with Petriix, however we only fail if we fail to learn.
As for Captain Tom, as far as I'm concerned he can refer to himself whatever he wishes for the simple fact of giving us something positive to hear on the news.  

jackieblack

I’ve always thought it’s a bit odd for someone who has retired to continue to use their rank / title (eg Reverend) after they’ve retired.
But then I don’t understand people who define themselves by their job / how they make their living in any case. 

DoaM

If you want to put an international slant on this, is it not odd that former US presidents are still known as Mr. President?

DoaM

JReacher1 said:

DoaM said:

And you believe he set that up himself?

I think his daughter did it for him. 

I rest my case.

TripleH

DoaM said:

If you want to put an international slant on this, is it not odd that former US presidents are still known as Mr. President?

What about the number of holders of the KBE who go by Sir during the day?

Undervalued

TripleH said:

DoaM said:

If you want to put an international slant on this, is it not odd that former US presidents are still known as Mr. President?

What about the number of holders of the KBE who go by Sir during the day?

And what is wrong with that?

Unless you are "only" an honorary KBE (or DBE for a woman) you are entitled to use Sir (or Dame). Honorary KBE or DBE are normally conferred on non Commonwealth citizens who cannot call themselves Sir (or Dame) unless they later become a British citizen. For example Sir Terry Wogan, who was Irish, initially couldn't be called Sir but later took British Citizenship.