As a member of this great nation, Fort Collins and the CSU community, I would like to start off by stating I in no way endorse or condone Tuesday’s column by Nicole Frazier, “Why we shouldn’t just have military discounts.” I can only hope that Frazier did not intend for the piece to come across as offensive as it was.

First of all, let me define service. Service is the action of helping or doing work for someone.

Frazier stated in her opinion column on Tuesday, “I am thinking of the word ‘serve’ in the sense of yielding a service or product for others, not limiting it to just those who have enlisted in the military.”She goes on to discuss the fact that anybody who “serves” deserves equal right to a discount at businesses as the military does.

If one wants to talk about serving others this includes waitresses, janitors, postal workers, garbage men, nurses, doctors, grocery baggers, you name it. Any job or career for that matter provides a “service.”I wouldn’t call what the members of our military do for us a simple “service.” I would more closely associate their line of work as a sacrifice and a willingness to do what so many of us could never fathom the mere thought of.

Let’s move on to the issue of the “discount” — an issue so irrelevant to the work the men and women of our military do for this country I am unsure why it was discussed.

We all get a discount of some sort at some point in our lives. When I head out to the movies — last time I checked at least — I got a full $2 off for being a college student. Wherever you go, there’s a discount for somebody. Apple offers a discount for educators and for students. Damn near every business in Larimer County offered a discount, free food, merchandise, or whatever for the firefighters fighting the “raging summer flames,” as Frazier believed they deserved. Which they did. And to an extent many people in our country deserve some sort of extra compensation for what they do.

Any person who is willing to risk their life for another person deserves respect. Why debate something as petty as a discount instead of just simply saying “thank you”? The compensation these members of our society deserve isn’t about monetary value. It’s about a community and a country standing behind those that protect as they “serve.” It’s about appreciation and homage.


However, to single out the military — the people of our country that stand by the principles that our nation was founded upon is flat out wrong. It is offensive, unnecessary and quite frankly — insulting.

Let’s talk about PTSD. Let’s talk about missing the birth of a child. Let’s talk about moving every 2-3 years. Let’s talk about living in middle of nowhere towns and missing Thanksgiving and Christmas with immediate family. Let’s talk about waiting and worrying if one’s husband or wife will return home safely. Let’s talk about never knowing what will happen next, doing something for this country, and then being criticized for it.

Have I made my point?

Who cares if they save a few dollars when they go out to dinner? It’s nothing to the members and families of the military in lieu of the multitude of sacrifices they make. Maybe it makes them feel appreciated for one second for everything — and I mean everything — that they have given up for you. For your right to speak your opinion. For your freedom of speech, freedom of press and so on and so forth.

Ask any of our military members if they really, truly care about that super awesome ten percent discount they receive at Applebee’s, or Lowe’s or whatever. Sure, they made a choice to join the military. But if those brave men and women didn’t make that choice, who would? Would you step up and give your life to protect us?

I can one hundred percent guarantee you they sure as hell didn’t sign their name over for you — and for the sake of our country — for a discount on a trip to Disney World.