They’re not ‘boots,’ they’re people

They’re not ‘boots,’ they’re people

Over the last couple weeks, numerous politicians, pundits, journalists and so called experts — even President Obama — have referred to the men and women of our military as “boots,” as in “boots on the ground.”

Am I the only one who finds this offensive? My father and brother both served in the military and I never thought of them as “boots.” They were people, living, breathing, thinking, feeling people who joined the military to defend our country. They had goals and aspirations. They had loved ones and they were loved. They were family, not boots. I am confident the same could be said of any member of our military, past or present.

It is disrespectful and insulting to refer to our military as “boots.” So, politicians, pundits, journalists and so called experts, the next time the urge strikes you to say that word, try using a different term such as troops, soldiers, or armed forces.

Dan Brink

Lombard