Support The Troops

A year or so ago I was in Burlington, Vermont taking a long walk and noticed that many, many cars had yellow ribbons stuck on the side or back. I started to count and my survey showed that 23% of the cars in Burlington had a “Support the Troops” sticker. Since then these yellow ribbons have become ubiquitous particularly, and understandably, in areas where a high percentage of military families or retirees live. But, what does it mean to “support the troops?” Years ago, when I was in a combat zone, I got some support in the form of care packages from family and a bunch of letters from a teacher friend’s grade school class. So, should we presume that everyone sporting a yellow sticker is sending cookies (or personal protection equipment) to the folks serving in Iraq. Or, does it mean that the yellow sticker people are going to the local bases and bringing soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines home for Sunday supper? Or, does it mean that they support, or supported, Bush’s decision to blow up Iraq? (How hard is it, by the way, to peal the Yellow Ribbons off?) I’d really like to interview everyone I see with a yellow sticker to see what specifically they are doing in way of support.  This guy on the Crooks and Liars website
did ask the question of people he found on the streets of New York. I expect that those with decals on their cars would have to respond similarly.