Real Good statement on many Americans

[Farnan]

I hate those f-verbing yellow magnets
A few years ago, while I going to college I had an interesting experience at a gas station. While I’m standing there filling up my tank, a middle aged lady and her friend used the pump opposite mine.

One of them glanced at my car, and then circled it. She tsked, and commented to her friend “It looks like someone doesn’t support our troops.” She had that annoying tone that is only used when you are pretending to talk to one person, but you’re really saying to some other person who’s within earshot.

“Well I guess somebody doesn’t love their country, if they don’t support the troops.”

“Ma’am, are you talking about me?” I’m from the south. We are polite to middle-aged ladies no matter how much they inspire us not to.

“Of course we’re talking about you!”

I leaned over and taped a sticker on my windshield. I had purchased this car while I was still enlisted, and it still had a somewhat faded Ft Bragg parking sticker on it.

“Ma’am until a few years ago I was one of the troops.”

Se sneered at me. “Well you don’t have one of the yellow magnets. They only cost a dollar.”

“So you have one?”

“I have three” she said smugly.

“But what have you done to support our troops?” I asked.

“What do you mean? I got three of the magnets.”

“This year I sent magazines, books, and DVD’s to the troops. What have you done?”

She looked confused and slightly embarrassed “Done? I have three magnets. I support the troops…”

“You’re only supporting magnet salesmen ma’am. Have a nice day.” And then I got back into my car and left her to her empty fake patriotism.

To sum up. If you want to support our troops, do something. There are places that will tell you how to send a care package or a letter to any soldier. If that’s too much effort, check out the USO, they take donations and put the package together for you. No matter how you feel about the war, just remember the people fighting in it volunteered to die protecting you. Get off your butt and do something nice for them.

While you at it, get write your Senators, and Representatives, and ask them how many care packages they’ve sent.

Because if you don’t then the terrorists and magnet moguls have already won.

http://skippyslist.com/2007/08/08/i-...ellow-magnets/

Real interesting.

Put in the mudpit as it is fairly political.

[Giorgos]

While i disagree with many of the US deployments in the recent years, i wholeheartedly agree with what the man said about supporting the troops.
Good post.

[danzig]

Interesting story but it sounds like something off urban legend site...it just seems a bit too perfect.

[Farnan]

Interesting story but it sounds like something off urban legend site...it just seems a bit too perfect.

Its probably a bit exagerrated or made up as a parable, but it does explain the attitude of many people in the US if you haven't noticed. Many will be willing to buy those yellow ribbons, but refuse to actually support the troops in a meaningful way such as with the USO.

[danzig]

Its probably a bit exagerrated or made up as a parable, but it does explain the attitude of many people in the US if you haven't noticed. Many will be willing to buy those yellow ribbons, but refuse to actually support the troops in a meaningful way such as with the USO.

Oh yeah the sentiment is on the mark didnt mean to distract from that on whether the details are true. Feel good "support" efforts for troops or even cure diseases are way too common in this country because its limited to symbolic nonsense that doesnt actually help the cause they claim to support. Reminds me of the Seinfeld ep where Krammer gets abused for not wearing aids ribbon.

[Sphere]

The friends I have in the military scoff at all the pitty and yellow ribbon crap. They are in it for a career. If you ask one of my friends what he does for a living he will say word for word, "I kill people for Uncle Sam."

Personally, I respect most of the people in the military. Do I support them? Not really, and seeing that 1/3 of our national budget is defense spending, they shouldn't need it.

[Last Roman]

Many will be willing to buy those yellow ribbons, but refuse to actually support the troops in a meaningful way such as with the USO.

sooooo true. I haven't sent anything to the troops overseas for a while, but I don't go around touting "I support the troops!" with those damned ribbons.

It's like people having an American flag sticker and calling themselves patriots because they have the sticker.

[removeduser_487563287433]

It's not something we have in Britain. I suppose the closest we have is the Poppy appeal... most people will have one but if you don't nobody makes assumptions. The poppy appeal is also a registered charity.

[Zuwxiv]

http://skippyslist.com/list/

That's on the same website, and that's what it's famous for. It's pretty good.

People unfortunately tend to think that little tokens of support carry real meaning. I don't think they're necessarily wrong, they just honestly believe that "supporting the troops" is done by buying magnets. This story smells of viral email, but it is true nonetheless. A lot of Americans read too much into the symbolic act of what they have done.

Also, there's something else to consider. People so often equate "supporting the troops" with "being American." But they also equate "supporting the troops" with "supporting the war in Iraq" (but not to the degree that they used to). This is wrong because first of all, back when the United States was a colony they fought their own official troops for Independence... I know, different situation, and it reeks of straw man or red herring, but supporting the individuals who volunteer for service is very different from supporting the policies and conflicts that they are entered into.

That said, I will profess a severe weakness of myself to support things in my mind, over think them, and in the end accomplish nothing physical to show for my so called "support."

[Farnan]

I actually have the list posted in the Thema Deva...

But anyway, I think that dollar people spend buying those ribbons would be better spent donated to the USO (which provides entertainment for deployed military) or writing a letter to a deployed soldier telling him or her how you feel.

[Thanatos]

I don't have a magnet, because I don't need one to support the troops.

[MadBurgerMaker]

I had to do a GIS to figure out what yellow magnet it was talking about. Heh. One of those would look on my car, so...

[bushbush]

I don't have a magnet, because I don't need one to support the troops.

wise words, many of those people bought magnets just wanna SHOW people they support the troops....do they really do? questionable.

[zznɟ ǝɥʇ]

Good post. Reminds me of a Sage Francis lyric.

So look for truth, quit seeking forgiveness.
You need to cut the noose, but you don't believe in scissors.
You support the troops by wearing yellow ribbons?
Just bring home my motherin' brothers and sisters.

Cause they don't call the shots
(but they're in the line of fire).
I'd like to call the cops
(but they're breakin' the line of duty).
It's time to call a stop
(To the abuse of authority).
The truth keeps calling me
And I'ma live to tell the story.

[sephodwyrm]

I don't support other people's troops.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

If you don't buy the magnets, do you still need to support the troops?

[Caelius]

I fail to see how anything asserted in the OP somehow "defines" most Americans.

[CDMan477]

I fail to see how anything asserted in the OP somehow "defines" most Americans.

On that note I fail to see how a thread entitled "A real good statement on many Americans" that turns out to actually be a bad statement comes off as anything but a partisan political statement, or at the very least petty. Meh, sounds like a little old lady thought she was doing some good while not realizing her support was nothing more that a empty gesture with no real effect on anyone. If it weren't for the title of this post, the article might have actually made me do some reflecting.

[Farnan]

How many people do you know have Yellow ribbon magnets?

Now how many people do you know have donated money to the USO or other charitable organisations dedicated to helping the members of the military or their families? (Military family members and military members are assumed to have done more than that.)

This is not limited to the US though.

[Tiwaz]

This is not limited to the US though.

You need to think differently.

Most countries do not have occupational forces in other nations so little need to support.
And quite many countries do not have culture of showing off patriotism in flashy flags or with big images.

Mostly it is kept quiet and personal.

Only show of support in terms of military for Finland are traditional money collection for war veterans (done by troopers going from door to door) and this T-shirt thing (which resembles this yellow magnet stuff) for preservation of AP-mines.