Originally Posted by
bocastephen
As far as you military entitlement folks - if you want to give up YOUR upgrade or paid F seat to military person then YOU go right ahead and do so - don't be thinking you can take MY F seat and award it to someone you think is great because of a uniform.
+1
and I subscribe to everything bocastephen says, except for the "they are all volunteers" part. Firefighters also are volunteers, this does not mean we shouldn't feel grateful.
In the case at hand, it is apparent to me that upgrades to uniformed personnel where a non-issue in the pre-9/11 world (in the sense that they were never issued and nobody would feel less patriotic for that).
But now, with action in Iraq and Afghanistan going on, there is this rush to give our men the best seats on a plane. Does it mean all those who went to Somalia were less heroic (not to mention Vietnam) ? Or does it mean we are not actually showing support for our men, but rather for the military campaigns they are participating to ?
It is the latter case, in my opinion, and as such I'll keep my F seat for myself, thank you. I'm already chipping in substantially by paying my taxes and doing so against my will.