clittylicker's blog post - Thank you for your service

I just saw this on another site. I don't know if it actually happened this way, but it sums up my feelings perfectly:


"<At the hardware store>

Cashier: Military?

Me: <reflexively> Retired.

Cashier: thankwewferyersevich.

Me: <non-committal grunt>

Cashier does cashier things, then..

Cashier: No, I really mean it.

Me: <trying to be polite> Thanks. Appreciate it. I'm in a hurry here.

I wasn't, in a hurry. But I just wanted to buy my stuff. That's it.

Look, I didn't ask for the discount. The cashier noticed my haircut. And that's fine. Being a veteran should maybe be good for something other than a limp and a bad attitude, I guess, and I'm not such a jackass that I won't take a couple of bucks off the price. I'm not trying to be an ass and I'm proud enough of having served. I spent 20 years at it. I'm certainly not ashamed of who I am or bitter about it or disgruntled or PTSD'd or whatever. But, it's not the ONLY thing I am and right now I'm just buying parts for my sprinkler system and I don't want to be reminded of my military service, AGAIN, for the tenth time today by yet another random cashier.

I'm not offended, so much as just tired of the ubiquitous inanity of being thanked for my service over and over. I got it. You're welcome. Let's move the hell on now. Please.

But, it wasn't to be.

Cashier: I don't think the military is appreciated enough in this country.

Me:

Cashier: It's just a shame the way the military is treated.

Me:

Cashier: You guys deserve...

Me: Just, goddamn, man, stop. Just stop. You don't think the military is appreciated in this country? Seriously? There are TWO national holidays dedicated to the military and I don't know how many state holidays. None for teachers or doctors or peacemakers. But two for the military and they're trying to turn all the rest of them into some statement on military service too. Every town in this country suddenly has some sort of park or monument dedicated to veterans. There are parades and fireworks and TV shows. There are TWO Executive departments of our government dedicated to the military. TWO. We spend more than 50% of the national budget on the military. Every car has one of those idiotic magnets on the back of it, or some sort of bumper sticker. I can see THREE of them from here. Every goober in this store is wearing some sort of military shirt with eagles and guns and flags on it. We idolize the military. It's a goddamned fetish! <I might have been shouting by this point> What the hell are you even talking about?

Cashier: Well, liberals are...

Me: Just stop. Fucking stop. Give me my receipt.

He was really young and, yes, YES, I should have been more patient and maybe ... I don't know. It's not my job to deprogram these damned zombies and detox the republican bullshit out of their systems.

The military isn't appreciated in this country? Fuck me.

If only education, healthcare, the environment, or PEOPLE, were "unappreciated" half so much."