My sister-in-law sent me an email today. This of itself is no surprise, she emails me most days; funny stuff, videos, Obama slamming (really, I am over it let's let it go ;o)), random images, things of that nature. But today was different. Today she sent a letter expressing her dismay over a certain "military discount" that many restaurants extend. I'll let her explain it here:
"So we went to Golden Corral in Warner Robins tonight for dinner tonight. When we approached the cashier we noticed a sign on the register that read "We give a 10% discount to Military ID card holders". So my husband pulls out his blue retiree ID card and she says to him "I'm sorry sir, that only applies to Active Duty military members". As my husband put his ID back in his wallet, I said to him in a voice loud enough for the cashier to hear, that apparently the war he fought in didn't count. He was stationed in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War, and served 23 and a half years in the United States Air Force.
So I had a little chat with the manager afterwards. I told him that he ought to re-do his sign out front to read "Active Duty military members only" because it was a slap in the face when a retired military member is told his time in service to our country don't qualify him for their discount. He said as far as he was concerned, it should be all military members but that it wasn't his decision, it came from above him. He then said to me that when they called other businesses in the area, that most restaurants don't give discounts to retirees. I can't begin to tell you how untrue that is. I can list many that indeed do so. Granted some don't do a discount for anyone, and that is fine. To me this is being blatantly rude to our retirees, and if I ever hear of another restaurant pulling the same stunt, they too shall loose my business.
I won't be eating there again. It's not about the money, we can afford the extra buck or so. I just can't imagine the 36 year old guy that had his leg blown off in Afghanistan and was therefore medically discharged and/or forced into early retirement, that his sacrifice and service don't qualify for a lousy 10% military discount at the local Golden Corral."
So I had a little chat with the manager afterwards. I told him that he ought to re-do his sign out front to read "Active Duty military members only" because it was a slap in the face when a retired military member is told his time in service to our country don't qualify him for their discount. He said as far as he was concerned, it should be all military members but that it wasn't his decision, it came from above him. He then said to me that when they called other businesses in the area, that most restaurants don't give discounts to retirees. I can't begin to tell you how untrue that is. I can list many that indeed do so. Granted some don't do a discount for anyone, and that is fine. To me this is being blatantly rude to our retirees, and if I ever hear of another restaurant pulling the same stunt, they too shall loose my business.
I won't be eating there again. It's not about the money, we can afford the extra buck or so. I just can't imagine the 36 year old guy that had his leg blown off in Afghanistan and was therefore medically discharged and/or forced into early retirement, that his sacrifice and service don't qualify for a lousy 10% military discount at the local Golden Corral."
Really? Really? "Active"?
You know this really bugs the shit out of me. I will admit that I give my friend Tanya a hard time whenever she trots out her ID card and checks if there is a discount, but it's all in good fun. I completely respect the fact that these people have risked their lives to maintain our way of life.
I did not serve in the military, and it's not because I had to serve in a mission or something along that line. For myself, and many others, I felt that military service was not for me. But thank you all the people that do feel that it is something they should do. I think that a discount at restaurants and other businesses is the least we can do as a civilian society to help support those people that have risked their lives for ours.
Would it be that much of a hardship to extend that benefit to ALL military personnel, active, retired or just former (not sure what they call that when you simply serve your 4 and get out-- I say simply, but I don't mean it that way, there is nothing "simply" about losing a limb, a spouse or a life, or their sanity. And ALL our service personnel risk that, be it in a year or a decade of service.)?
I hope that, had I been there, I would have ponied up to pay for him just to appreciate him for the sacrifices he made with his family and his freedom (let's face it, service is hard, you are separated for months or years from your family, and of all of us, soldiers have the least amount of freedom- they have to to protect ours). I say, I hope, because I honestly don't know that I would have been self-aware enough to have really understood the implications at the moment that reflection offers us hours later.
It's all well and good that we have a day to remember our vets and to appreciate them. But they are veterans all the time 24/7, shouldn't we try to put in just as much time to appreciate them?
I want to take this time to thank all the people I know personally who have served, my family: my father, Tom Holland; my brother, Chris Holland; my extended brothers-in-law, Craig and Chuck. My friends: Brandon and Cora Jones, Tim Mutton, JonasWare, and all the other people I am probably forgetting, I promise, it isn't intentional.
Robin, I shall take up your cause, though admittedly, I never go to Golden Corral so it's not that much of a hardship. :o) But I do owe Chris a beer or 20.