Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Head

It seems to me that we have become obsessed with cute little ribbons over the past few years, here in America. In particular, there seem to be a lot of people who believe that all it takes to "Support the Troops" is to place the appropriate yellow ribbon sticker on the rear of their car and viola, they are a supporter. This evening, while discussing politics on one of the message boards where I hang out, it was proposed to me that liberals don't support the troops because only conservatives put yellow ribbon stickers on their car. Leaving aside my doubts about this individual actually having the wherewithal to accurately determine the political leanings of every yellow-ribbon-sticker automobile driver, it rekindled the fires of my anger over the misguided concept some have about what it means to support the troops.

By themselves, yellow ribbons mean doodley-squat. Anyone can slap a sticker on their car and claim that it means they are supporting the troops. But I just don't see it that way. Show me the people who are visiting vets in hospitals, who are giving of their time and money to support the people placed into financial devastation by their sacrifice and service to their nation, who are lobbying their elected representatives to give our veterans the medical and financial help they need, who are finding ways to help homeless and mentally ill vets the rest of America has turned their backs on, who want the military to be held accountable for poisoning our vets with depleted uranium (DU) and I'll show you people who support the troops. Plastering a yellow sticker on a car, bashing liberals, and feeling warm and fuzzy don't cut it. Not by a long shot.

Supporting the troops is a messy business that takes heart, grit, and compassion. Lots of Americans don't seem to want anything to do with really supporting the troops. They just want the cheap feel-good that comes from talking about it. Americans who stick a yellow ribbon on their car and nothing else aren't supporting the troops; in my opinion, they're supporting their own egos and deluding themselves that they are helping our troops.