Most businesses offer a discount for their goods and services if you have a valid military i.d. It's usually 10%. Not a whole not, but it does add up...especially on those trips to Lowe's (which are often).
Aside from Lowe's, Scott usually checks with hotels to see if there's a government rate. There's often a big difference in price between that and the regular rate, so we make use of it when available.
Usually, Scott doesn't ask for the military discount if it's not offered. If it's a business that I know offers that 10% off, I'll nudge him to ask for it.
Now. Here's where the problem comes in: As a military spouse, am I allowed to ask for this discount? I have a valid military i.d. It gets me on base, into the gym, into my doctor's appointments (essentially serving as an insurance card), and I can purchase goods on base with it. But am I allowed to ask for this discount if, say, I'm at the Banana Republic Outlet? What if they offer it to me upon seeing my Alaska driver's license and ask how I ended up in Missouri? What if they see my USAA check card and offer the discount (a common occurrence)?
What if there are people out there who believe I shouldn't have the right to the 10% off at the Banana Republic Outlet? What if they tell me that I have "done anything to deserve it" so I better not ask for or accept it?
Because that totally happened. I know people who believe mil-spouses have no right to such things.
I haven't served my country. I haven't deployed. I haven't signed up to give my life for freedom. No one likes a fraud, right? Perhaps I really don't deserve the right, and I understand the reasoning behind that opinion. Sort of.
But where do you draw the line? That i.d. gets me on base, no questions asked. Can a civilian do that? I scan it into the machine at the gym each morning and have access to classes and amenities. Can anyone do that? They check it every time I pay at the commissary and the Post Exchange. It gets me books at the library. It gets me FREE MEDICAL CARE.
Are you (these people) telling me that I don't have the right to THOSE^ things because I haven't signed up to serve my country? That's the flaw in their opinion, if you ask me.
I mean, I totally get that I shouldn't be allowed on post, in the gym, in the commissary, and I definitely shouldn't get any kind of medical care...because I only married into the army. I didn't join the army.
(Absolute bitter sarcasm ^ up there)
As I'm typing this, I'm getting kind of agitated. In fact, when Scott and I had this discussion, I got so agitated (think: angry tears) that I convinced him that I was right and the people he knows who believe I'm undeserving of base privileges are arrogant jackholes.
What do you think? Obviously, I know what I think, but it scares me to think there's people (dual-military couples, in my experience) out there who believe military spouses should be independent of themselves.
And because you know need something cute to look at after reading my angry writing...
