Reader: Broadcaster was wrong with gas station coverage

Paying it forward
November 18, 2014
Long after his death, a veteran’s service resonates
November 18, 2014
Paying it forward
November 18, 2014
Long after his death, a veteran’s service resonates
November 18, 2014

Dear Editor,

The incident that happened at the local gas station where the veteran was called a vulgar name as well as all veterans was insulting.


The way it was handled by the local TV station, in my opinion, was completely over the top.

Did (HTV owner and broadcaster Martin Folse) stop to think that maybe some other employees at this gas station are American, with him saying he will not shop there again and asking others to do the same as well as callers encouraging a boycott of the store. What about the family that is depending on that employee to bring home a paycheck every week? We don’t all own TV stations.

Just because one veteran was called a bad name by someone from another country, why don’t you ask some minority veterans about some of the names that they were called when they returned from their tours by people from this country?


The owner of the TV station is just that – the owner of a TV station, not the moral conscious of Terrebonne Parish and more people should tell him.

If this worker at the local gas station had been black, white or Hispanic and told this veteran the same thing would this really be going on? Veterans are just regular people that were drafted or volunteered for military service knowing what the ultimate sacrifice might be, and we applaud them for doing so, but, this is where some people become blinded by someone that’s a veteran.

Ask yourself, do veterans commit crimes? Do veterans abuse their spouses and children? Do veterans rape? Do veterans become addicted to drugs and alcohol? This list could go on and on.


If you would ask someone who has been abused by a spouse who happens to be a veteran, that abusive spouse being a veteran would be the furthest thing from the mind of that person that’s being abused.

In all walks of life there are people who are flawed, irregardless of their profession, we should put no one on a pedestal or give them an untouchable image, especially if the only offense that they had done to them was being called a bad word.

I think if someone has survived a war, mere words can’t penetrate that armor of bravery and commitment for the country that we all love.


Passion is good, but having misguided passion; passion for whatever the reason maybe is a mistake, but we can all have a do-over.

Mike Thomas, Houma, Louisiana