NFL: Wear these shoes

I think the Armed Forces needs to adopt a “Take an NFL player to Combat” week much like taking your son or daughter to work week. They need to see and experience what it means when the individual takes the oath to protect their country, all the freedoms and rights that we enjoy and to GIVE UP THEIR LIFE.

They need to experience days on end of sustained combat; wake up tired, hungry, thirsty, wondering if this is their day to die.

They need to experience seeing their buddy die with his head or leg blown off.

They need to experience the abject terror one feels when hearing bombs go off, bullets whizzing by their heads.

They need to ask the soldier’s kids how do they like not having their parent to be there for them.

They need to ask the wives or husbands how they deal with the possibility of not knowing if their spouse will be coming home.

They need to ask what it’s like to live with someone who can’t function when they come home because they keep reliving the terror they felt or their body is so broken and mutilated.

Then they need to ask themselves, “Am I proud and happy that my fellow NFL players are refusing to honor these brave young men by not respecting the National Anthem?”

This program could be applied to policemen and firemen, as well.

The NFL players need a reality check and walk in someone else’s shoes.

DIANE MARTIN

Coeur d’Alene