Ribbons

What is the deal in this country with so many cars having ribbons on the back of them? It's rare to see any more than five cars at a time that don't have a yellow ribbon on the back end. Some people even have multiple ribbons on their cars -- I've seen red, white and blue ones, and black, POW ones as well. Today, I saw ribbons covering the entire length of the back end of a Hummer.

Of course it's to show support for the troops, I guess. But does anyone know where the money from these tacky things goes? Does it actually go to help support the soldiers and their families, or is some fat cat pocketing from it?

Now, what do you think people's motives for displaying these ribbons on their cars really are? Is it really to show support for the troops, or is it some suburbanite yuppie thing where one person has one, so everyone else has to have one? I would like to say it's the former, yet so many people seem not to care that our men are dying for nothing (or they can't comprehend it). Their "support" seems, quite frankly, fake.

Do you think it's like the wake following 9/11, where people compete to have to most flags on their car, or have the biggest flag tackily gracing their driver's side door?

I have nothing against people supporting the troops -- I support them, too. But you would think that if the support was genuine among all these people, there would be more of an effort and more of a voice among people to bring our troops home.

How can you genuinely support the troops when they're fighting a war that cannot be won? It just seems a bit contradictory and sort of ironic, really.

 

I wish I would've come up with the ribbon idea.


It was just someones idea that snowballed into a money making scheme that preys off of peoples patriatism and need to fit in.

 

Glad I'm not alone in thinking that.

 

No matter who is president, you still have to support the troops. It's not there fault, they volunteer.

 

Really. I see not a lot of ribbons where I live and I live ironically in the biggest Naval town there is. The only ones I see our on other Navy wifes cars. I don't have one personally. But I support our troops and my husband even though he's not over there, he is in halifax. I do wonder though what actually happens to the money.


You know what I think is kind of sad. The other week I was watching the channel with that Extreme Makeover on it. They give these people all this expensive surgery for free. Then an hour later on dateline I think it was they had a story about soilders from Iraq that were medically discharged because they had ligaments blown off and now the don't get any compensation or anything. Now all those familys are dirt poor. And this same station had a show right before it blowing all this money on people who aren't even close to as bad off as Men and Women who are fighting a war. Make a show about helping them. If someone wants a self esteem boost I can understand I guess, but that is just ridiculous!

 

I know that! I support the troops 100%. That's why I think the only REAL way to support them is to bring them home, not decorate your car with ribbons.

 

are you talking about those stupid magnent things that are in this ribbon or bow?

all the sudden EVERYONE around here has them... and they all have two kinds. the one says "support our troups" or the other "pray for our troops"

idiotic if you ask me.

 

oh and i KNOW im gonna get a lot of shit for this.

i do not feel bad for the solidiers that are over there. they signed up... it's not like they were drafted.

sorry if i seem insensitive, but it's the truth

 

Yes.

 

The army is doing the best it can to save money right now because of the massive spending that has already gone down. You better believe that their are branches in the military that work exactly like insurance agrencies. A popular saying in the army is "quick to take your money. Slow to give it to ya."

 

Well, you can't blame people for living in a controlled society where reality is often illusion.

I doubt many of the soldiers thought pre-9/11 that they would be used as imperalist tools for the neocons. A lot of people join the military simply as a means to pay for their schooling, not because they have an urge to kill people they don't know.

 

Yeah I know about the money problem the Military has. Trust me. A deployment was cancled here because of low funding. I was just saying all the people who got all this money they don't need could do so help for the ones who help us. These men and women are really brave for doing what they do. It takes a lot of courage to go into a war zone. I just don't think its right that people back here are getting stupid stuff like money grinded down and made into a fake nail (seen it on a show) when they could do at least a little something to help out our troops.

 

yep. and i dont mean any disrespect to anyone in the military. i have friends in the military. i dont wish any of them any harm. i dont want ANYONE, and i do mean, anyone, to die.

however, come on...it's the military. it's a chance you take. it's not like the military went around handing out sign up sheets to join some exclusive country club and it turned out in reality to be....the military.

if you sign up, it's a chance you take. no disrespect but im not for a minute gonna sit here and feel sorry for any of them.

same thing with reporters who go there and tourists from western society, and "omg! their head gets chopped off!!". those people know what is going on there and you wouldnt catch ME going to iraq right now....

 

Exactly. They are from a town where the economy sucks. Such as Flint, Michigan. Near where I am from. There are no jobs to help them out. So what do they do. Sign up for the military. Why not? Health Benefits, School Funding. Its sound like all perks until a war lets loose. I support them. I could never sign my life away like that. But I am glad and prood of the soilders who are brave enough to do so

 

Because the pain and suffering of soldiers that shouldn't be in the warzone in the first place wouldn't bring in good ratings. Plus it would get the people who the government want to keep in blissful TV ignorance to question the motives of our government and actions. That's why they only broadcast the good and keep the bad at a low level.

 

Actually if you want to know the truth. Where I come from recruiters are at your high school every freakin day. Handing out sheets. Explaining all the perks. Young kids think. Hmmm I could be making some good money, or scrapping by living with my parents at a minmium wage job. Yeah it is a chance they take. But they take that chance to protect you and the rest of America. If there was a war outside your door. You would be damn happy if soilders were protecting you

 

I am not saying air it on T.V. that was just an example of how people spend this butt load of money. When they could help out more. I agree that they keep the bad at a low level and it wouldnt be good for ratings though. What american wants to see caufins coming in by the dozen. None.

 

actually...i do. i would MUCH rather see the truth and the harsh reality on mainstream television then a nice, warm/fluffy version. maybe that would open more people's eyes, as well, to what is really going on....

and like i said, i dont mean any disrespect for the troops... i just, still stick by what i said though.

 

Speaking from a troops point of view the Army has hit the lowest point moral wise since I've been in. The troops that joined before 9/11 people just looking for a sure paycheck and college money were disenfranchised from the start, and the people that joined in a fit of patriotism fizzeled out pretty fast once they went to Iraq and discovered first hand what this war is really about.

 

Yeah..I know..And I know a lot of people here who got themselves kicked out. Seems everyone I met when I first moved down here have been kicked out of the navy. But I heard the navy is trying to downsize. So I don't know. I hear so many rumors around here.