Sunday, January 02, 2005
Enough Already!
At the risk of pissing off damn near everyone in my hometown and incurring the wrath of conservatives everywhere, I've got to get this off my chest.
I have had it with these damned "Support Our Troops" magnets! Everywhere I look, I see them. They're on cars, vans, trucks, trailers, sheds, grain bins, at the gas station, the grocery store, the mini-mart, the hardware store, and the local restaurants. It's not that I have anything personal against our troops, but dammit, I'm tired of being ordered to support them. Maybe if they said something like "I Support Our Troops" or "Please Support Our Troops," I wouldn't find them so annoying. But they don't. Instead they practically shout at me everytime I see one. "Support Our Troops!" "Support Our Troops!" "Support Our Troops!" "Support Our Troops!"
The final straw came the other day as I was buying humidifier filters at one of our local department stores. As I headed to the front of the store to check out, there was a large message painted on the front wall of the building that said "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!" I wanted to ask the cashier why it's okay for them to order me to do something? And if I refuse then what ami, some sort of outcast? Am I un-American? Why don't they just say it like it is? Why don't they just say "Support The War, Dammit!" At least that would be honest.
Like I said, I don't have anything personal against the troops. I would like to see them brought safely home to their families. But here in Bumblefuck, Illinois, "Support Our Troops" means "Support Our President." We were one of the reddest counties in the entire state and my particular hometown was one of the reddest towns in the county. Just as an example, when the high school where I teach held their mock election in November, Alan Keyes received 48% of the vote against Barack Obama. 48%! I'm pretty sure that my house was one of only a handful to display a Kerry/Edwards sign in my yard. (I still have K/E signs in my windows just so there's no confusion as to who I voted for.) So here, "Support Our Troops" means more than just what it says.
In my opinion, I am supporting our troops by wanting them to be brought home safely. Forcing them to be in harm's way for an unjust war is a strange way of showing support. Personally, I think that supporting the war and the person who started it is just the opposite of supporting our troops. However, I'm not shouting at everyone and ordering them to feel the same as me. Maybe I need my own ribbon. One that says "I Support Our Troops...But Not The War."
What do you think?
I have had it with these damned "Support Our Troops" magnets! Everywhere I look, I see them. They're on cars, vans, trucks, trailers, sheds, grain bins, at the gas station, the grocery store, the mini-mart, the hardware store, and the local restaurants. It's not that I have anything personal against our troops, but dammit, I'm tired of being ordered to support them. Maybe if they said something like "I Support Our Troops" or "Please Support Our Troops," I wouldn't find them so annoying. But they don't. Instead they practically shout at me everytime I see one. "Support Our Troops!" "Support Our Troops!" "Support Our Troops!" "Support Our Troops!"
The final straw came the other day as I was buying humidifier filters at one of our local department stores. As I headed to the front of the store to check out, there was a large message painted on the front wall of the building that said "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!" I wanted to ask the cashier why it's okay for them to order me to do something? And if I refuse then what ami, some sort of outcast? Am I un-American? Why don't they just say it like it is? Why don't they just say "Support The War, Dammit!" At least that would be honest.
Like I said, I don't have anything personal against the troops. I would like to see them brought safely home to their families. But here in Bumblefuck, Illinois, "Support Our Troops" means "Support Our President." We were one of the reddest counties in the entire state and my particular hometown was one of the reddest towns in the county. Just as an example, when the high school where I teach held their mock election in November, Alan Keyes received 48% of the vote against Barack Obama. 48%! I'm pretty sure that my house was one of only a handful to display a Kerry/Edwards sign in my yard. (I still have K/E signs in my windows just so there's no confusion as to who I voted for.) So here, "Support Our Troops" means more than just what it says.
In my opinion, I am supporting our troops by wanting them to be brought home safely. Forcing them to be in harm's way for an unjust war is a strange way of showing support. Personally, I think that supporting the war and the person who started it is just the opposite of supporting our troops. However, I'm not shouting at everyone and ordering them to feel the same as me. Maybe I need my own ribbon. One that says "I Support Our Troops...But Not The War."
What do you think?
