Sound Off: Should We Ditch Veteran Preference and Military Discounts?

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Airmen at restaurant.

A recent piece in the Washington Post asserts that, when military folks ask for discounts, they're damaging civilian-veteran relations. The author, retired Army lieutenant colonel Dave Duffy, argues that military service, or being a member of the same family as someone who served, should not warrant special treatment in the civilian world. Our own SpouseBuzz editor Amy Bushatz weighed in with a counter to Duffy: most veteran and military discounts are usually offered for business reasons, not entirely as a benevolent gesture. She suggests that a simple, polite inquiry about veteran discounts is okay.

Both authors mention one extreme end of the spectrum: individuals who belligerently demand that companies provide discounts. While everyone can agree that this kind of behavior does hurt the military's image, the disagreement is more nuanced when it comes to the rest of the issue.

Do veteran or military discounts create a divide between civilians and the military? Sound off!

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