Originally Posted by Bart
You continue to miss the point; I will spell it out for you. It is not a matter of demanding respect nor is it a matter of still being in the military.
It is a matter of volunteering to serve the nation. When comments like yours question the patriotism of the men and women who have voluntarily joined the armed forces just because they now serve in another capacity---and all because you have to deal with the inconvenience of removing your shoes---then that's a bit over the top.
I do not agree with the shoe policy. Nor do I, as I've posted many times before which you seem to overlook, tolerate rudeness. None of this has to do with patriotism; a lot of it has to do with personality. Posting comments about rude screeners is one thing. Concluding that all screeners are unAmerican jackbooted thugs is another.
Good thing nobody concluded that, then.
When did you serve in the military? Where did you deploy? What was it like to hear the bee-buzz sound of a bullet that zipped by you that was intended for you? You say these people don't deserve respect?
This is a bit too silly. Respect for veterans? Sure, I have respect for veterans, but no veteran should take that respect as a license for bad behavior, it isn't. Your argument is, essentially, that we should respect veterans no matter what they do. Nope.
When veterans, and ex-cops throw their weight around, they are the ones who are being disrespectful, and they need to be called on it.
Saying "but I am a veteran" is not a get-away-with-bad-behavior-for-free pass.