On an individual basis, I have no problem with showing respect for individual military members. It may come as a shock to some, but I, after talking with him and getting to know him, upgraded a young soldier on a DFW-RNO flight last year.

What I have a problem with is the mass fetish that this country has developed for the military--an unthinking, unquestioning worship in which "support the troops" has become code for "don't dare question the policies they are being asked to carry out." Just because somebody is carrying out the duties for which they have volunteered does not automatically make him a hero and object for uncritical worship.

The very notion of blindly calling every troop a hero is nonsense. What about those "troops" involved in the ever growing catalog of abuses--from minor and petty bullying on the streets, to full-blown crimes, to actual war-crimes? The perpetrators may not be a majority but they certainly are proving to be a noticeable minority within the ranks of our beloved troops.

I only wish that the "support our troops" crowd would devote the same energy that they put into shouting down anyone that questions the role of the military in our society towards protesting the cuts in VA hospitals, soldier benefits and counseling services for returning soldiers.