On the 19th of this month, I will be traveling back home to Texas for both business and pleasure, so I went to the website of the Lampasas County Chamber of Commerce to see what events were taking place for entertainment during my stay.

I was excited to discover that the Ninth Annual Riata Roundup Rodeo was being held at the Lometa Regional Park on June 18-19. What disturbed me was what I did not read. What I read was, “Admission is $10 adults, kids 12 and under free, and Military $6 with military ID.”

OK, I said to myself, they are giving discounts to the military, but what about law enforcement and fire fighters? Their jobs carry an immense risk, too, and they are often taken for granted by the public. Nobody seems to remember them until they are needed. So, I called the chamber and was told it was “a tradition” to give military discounts.

Well, as a law enforcement officer I’m not asking for, nor do I want, a discount. I earn a good wage and expect to pay full price for the ticket. I don’t expect a discount because I chose law enforcement as my career. Today’s military is a volunteer military. They, too, chose that career. However, tradition in this case needs to be changed.

Let me suggest this to the Lampasas chamber. If you are able-bodied and are earning a good, decent wage, then all adults pay full price. The kids’ ticket prices should be discounted, but where are the senior citizens discounts? Have they been forgotten? These are folks who ultimately deserve a discount because they have earned it through life. They are the ones who most commonly are on a fixed income and can’t afford to attend such events but would love to.

So, I contacted the Lometa Senior Center and sent a personal check to the Lampasas chamber of commerce for 20 senior citizens to attend the rodeo on June 19. I call this “The New Tradition of Sending a Senior to the Rodeo Day.”

I hope it’s the start of a new tradition and challenge the military women and men to do the same.

Luis Gonzales

Milwaukee