By Olyver LaGabed, Special to the Journal
Did you know you can donate to Veteran students here at Pellissippi State Community College? As we highlight Veterans Day, we at Imaginary Gardens invite you to join us in recognizing and honoring Veterans’ valiant service by investing in their future through the Veteran Support Fund. Just click the link below, select your donation amount, and designate your contribution to the “Veteran Support Fund.” Imaginary Gardens appreciates your generous support.
Thank you and have a blessed day honoring this nation’s current and retired soldiers,
– Emma G. Harrison, Editor-in-Chief, Imaginary Gardens
Every year, around the month of November, Americans everywhere celebrate with barbecues, sales, and even have an entire holiday dedicated to remembering and honoring the sacrifices veterans have made for our country. But what about the rest of the year? Outside of Veterans Day, what is America doing to not only celebrate veterans’ accomplishments but also to support their livelihoods as well? And speaking of livelihoods: what happened to the veterans discount?
If you or someone you know has a family member that’s ex-military, then the phrase “do you offer a veterans discount” is likely something you’ve heard before. Veterans discounts have played a huge role in supporting veterans for a long time; the mark-down on prices often lends a hand to veterans who may struggle to find work while dealing with the consequences of serving in the military (i.e., mental/physical disabilities). Unfortunately, however, it’s seemingly becoming a stranger to major corporations.
According to USA Facts, 22 of 10,000 Americans have experienced homelessness. Of those homeless, roughly 5% are veterans. While the number of homeless veterans has since gone down in 2024, the fact of the matter is that there are still tens of thousands of veteran Americans who are unable to support themselves due to issues that may have been caused by their time in the military. On top of that, even veterans who aren’t homeless are still below the poverty line – 37% of the impoverished community in Puerto Rico’s district is made up of veterans, according to the Center for Research on Disability.
Because of this sad fact, the veterans discount plays a much larger role in supporting veterans than many people might realise. Despite this, many American corporations (such as Baskin-Robbins, Starbucks, and Cinemark) have slowly stopped offering such discounts. Even then, if an organization does offer the discount, it’s not at a meaningful rate. In recent years, the highest I’ve personally seen military discounts go is 10% off a meal.
While there’s more to be said about the general economy’s mismatched wage/inflation rates and how that impacts the general public, the lack of discount certainly doesn’t help support veterans already living in an unstable economy like the rest of us. It especially doesn’t help since many veterans are left unable to work after their time serving. The 10% off might not be much to an able-bodied person who can guarantee themselves another paycheck, but to an individual who can’t hold a job thanks to an illness, that discount might be the only way they can afford a meal or groceries.
The disappearance of the veterans discount is indicative of a larger issue regarding how our country treats those who serve in the military. We certainly haven’t done much to solve the housing crisis in America; the homeless rate rose by 3.3% in 2024, according to USA Facts. If our nation enables corporations that are willing to pocket a little extra change at the expense of veterans, what else will America allow to slide?
So yes, the yearly barbecue is nice, but when it comes down to it, many veterans are not being given the support needed to even appreciate their own celebration. Veterans make up a large portion of our country’s population, and they are also an incredibly important portion as well. Veterans are individuals who have risked their lives in order to protect their nation – the least their nation can do in return is offer them a few bucks off their coffee.
