I understand that many people feel that calling a professional woman “ma’am” is intended to undermine their position in the professional world. This was obviously not t

he case when Gen Walsh called Mrs. Boxer “ma’am”, but instead an attempt to speak to Mrs. Boxer in a professional, respectful manner. Mrs. Boxer should be more vigilant in deciding who she feels is trying to be insulting and who is trying to be polite.

My sister recently followed in my father’s footsteps and joined the United States Army. Just today, she was at the airport in her uniform going back home from over four months of training in the middle of hot, buggy Missouri where she learned how to protect this country. She had a long wait between when the military bus dropped her off and when her plane took off, so she decided to purchase a drink at the food court. The cashier asked her if she would like anything to eat, and my sister said that she didn’t. A group of people sitting at a table near her piped up and told her to order anything she wanted, that it was on them. Mrs. Boxer should take a page from these guys’ book. While it is unnecessary for people to go this far, and treatment for the military has gotten much better from the time my father spoke of during the Vietnam war where soldier’s were rewarded with being spit on rather than a drink, it isn’t good enough when the very people who go to war when politicians decide or who have their funding (or underfunding) decided by politicians, are treated as if they were schoolchildren by those same politicians. I’ve got a novel idea- let’s at least treat soldier’s with the respect we give the politicians, who wouldn’t dare put their own lives (or even livelihoods) on the line for us, as soldier’s put uniforms on to do every day. Or how about Mrs. Boxer, and all politicians, crawl down from their thrones and treat their constituents who awarded them with a vote with a little respect. I think it is the least they can do for what we as Americans, especially those that are in uniform, have done for them.