If your respect for someone rests on whether or not they’ve served in the military, the majority of people you meet (unless you live on a military base of some sort) are going to disappoint you.
One woman felt it necessary to discuss with Mike Rowe that she no longer respected him after she discovered that he had no military service under his belt. His answer is something to which we can all relate.
From IJReview:
When you’re a public figure who’s as well known as Mike Rowe, you expect to get some criticism now and then. But just the other day, Rowe received a critical note from a woman who said she “used to respect him” — and he didn’t quite “get it.”
Despite being befuddled by her need to chastise him over his life decisions, he took to Facebook to answer her question:
Rowe’s fans were quick to offer encouragement:
And a healthy dose of sarcasm:
A few veterans even weighed in:
There are MANY ways to do good in the world that don’t involve joining the military. I personally salute our men and women in uniform, be that uniform army fatigues of emergency room scrubs.