"Support Our Troops" magnets spreading

If you've spent any time on the road lately, you've probably seen a car in front of you with at least one "Support Our Troops" or "Freedom Isn't Free" ribbon on the bumper or quarter panel. Why are they
suddenly appearing now? Are they being distributed by a political party or church congregation? Is there some reason we should be supporting our troops more now than, say, a year ago? I asked one man who had two ribbons on his car where he got them, and he told me a friend gave them to him, but they're on sale at any corner store. I also looked online and found the distributor, FlagsonCars.com, "the Premier online provider for American flags and patriotic products."

Earlier in the summer I saw a lot of "Support Our Troops. Bring Them Home" signs around the area. So it seems people on either side of the political fence can agree on at least one thing...

Comments

[Nell]

I still don't understand what putting a sticker on your car does to "support the troops"???

[Katie]

It shows them Eye-raqi suicider evildoers that all of us who loves America isn't going to back down from rooting 'em out even if they keep blowing up our brave troops. What, do you hate freedom or something?

[B. Eakin]

Bumper stickers allow an individual to express their opinion. It is doubtful that anyone but the most dense would expect their sticker to convince someone else to their point of view. There are those who have "Free Tibet" stickers on their cars but Tibet is not free and if it ever is it will not be because of bumper stickers. The bumper sticker phenomenon also allows merchants to make money from sales of stickers to people who believe that having the sticker on their car counts as actually doing anything useful or important. Profit and free expression- the American dream.

[Mike]

I understand both freedom of speech and the right to make a buck. But why now? As I asked in my original post, is there some reason we should be supporting our troops more now than, say, a year ago?

[bill]

they have been around for more than the last few weeks and a support or troops magnet i think is a great thing it lets people with family serving know that some do thank those who serve
from what i see on the ones knocking the support or troops stickers/magnets or are the ones with john"benadick arnald" for prez sticker on their car but if you realy want to suport our troops and freedom vote bush in nov and not for a turn coat that should be put on treason charges for comfort to the enamy

[Mike]

Funny you say that Bill. The same people I saw with "Vote Kerry" stickers on their cars also had "Support Our Troops. Bring Them Home Now" signs in their yards. I have a hard time making the connection between criticism of the war in Iraq and treason. The Republicans seem to be doing everything they can to avoid talking about the actual situation on the ground in Iraq, which members of the President's own party, including John McCain, have said needs a serious "recalibration."

[bill]

like i said they back kerry they dont back the us

[Ben]

Ok...I have been looking into this ridiculous fad for awhile now to try and pinpoint what, if anything, having this magnetic sticker on your car DOES to actually "support our troops". The only conclusion I came to is that the "troops" are actually the people distributing and making money off of this fad and not the men and women dying overseas for our freedom. Buying this crap only supports the companies selling them, not the people dying. Basically the companies that sell these items are using the fact that our men and women are dying so they can sell all the sheep in this country something and profit big-time off of it. I have found no company selling these products yet that sends the profits of the sales to the troops overseas. It reminds me of the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) fad. "If I don't wear a WWJD do bracelet then people will think I'm a bad christian and I will look bad so I GOTTA get one!!"..."If I don't put a sticker on my car that says 'Support Our Troops' then people will think I'm a bad American so I GOTTA get one!!". How about instead of people pretending they support the troops with a cheap sticker they send their money to the troops or invest in a care package to send overseas...then people can really say that they have supported the troops in a concrete and real way if they feel like they have to let everyone know.

[Sian Nelson]

maybe worry and grief have made me a little simple minded recently.grief because so many of the young men in the photos my son has sent home are now dead or wounded so seriously that their lives are changed forever,or that my son is still there in one of the areas of heaviest fighting.What he wants to do is fix the place up and come home.So whats wrong with a yellow ribbon on my car,maybe its a warning to other drivers that I might be looking at the road through tears.The ribbons I occasionally see on other peoples cars tell me that my son is not forgotten and that other people are supporting him,whatever their politics or views on the war are.So if you don't want to support commercialism make your own out of yellow sticky tape because to the troops and their families and friends it does mean a lot.

[Gary Potter]

Something like this would have meant a lot to me during my tour in Vietnam. I'm not much of a shopper so I'd not seen these for sale until my son graduated from basic military training on 9/3/04. Bet my wife bought 20 of them - she gave them to family and friends. I proudly have one on my car - wife has two.

[amanda]

stop complaining...the money goes to the troops of course, where else would the money go?

[Mike]

um, not quite. The company who makes these products (http://www.flagsoncars.com/aboutus.htm) donates money to orgnizations like the United Way, which they can then write off on their taxes. But I don't see anything about money going to directly help our troops.

[seer]

Ribbons Get Real:
Exposing the Unspoken Demands of the New Propaganda

http://www.irregulartimes.com/irregularribbons.html

Another tool to help the poor attack the poor :-( Another slight of hand by the rich elitists.

Ah, the power of propaganda!

[eray]

>
> A friend of mine who works at DuPont sent this to me.
> Those "Support the troops" ribbons can mess up your paint.
>
>
>
> > You know those yellow magnetic ribbons you see on cars
> > these days? Eventually they can eat through the paint
> > on most kinds of cars.
> >
> > That flexible, magnetic material called Cemdex(TM)
> > first came out in 1976. They tried to market it to the
> > department of defense to use on big bulletin boards to
> > track troop movements, but it never caught on.
> >
> > Later it became used for promotional graphic arts
> > purposes like business cards that stick to the fridge.
> > IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE USED IN EXTREME WEATHER
> > CONDITIONS.
> >
> > Normally the flexible resins are completely inert and
> > harmless, but if the material gets below 30 degrees
> > Fahrenheit the resins can seep out and slowly dissolve
> > the paint on your car.
> >
> > The reaction:
> > poly-iso-cyanate (the enamel in your paint) +
> > polyvinyl resin (ingredient in the flexible magnet
> > material) => polyvinyl acetate + 2 cyanic acid + 3 CO2
> >
> > It will happen slow, but if you leave it on for a
> > whole season, eventually you will have a big, gray,
> > ribbon-shaped hole in your car's paint job.
> >

[Stephen Bryan]

. The Vietnam Memorial Wall, located in Washington, D.C. serves two primary principles in my opinion. One, is a remembrance to the 58,000 young men and woman who so gallantly gave their lives for what they thought was a patriotic purpose. The Wall is also a reminder that this nation shall never again give up their most prized and spirited young citizens for a government with a such a mislaid agenda. But Iraq. Oh how quickly we forgot especially from a leader of this same generation.

Please follow the below website address to access the database of over 58,000 names and profiles of the Vietnam war. Once you are there, scroll to the bottom of the page and pick any letter A-Z. The database of over 58,000 names and profiles of the Vietnam war causalities are listed. This site is absolutely mind boggling when you experience the utter waste of human life.I believe we are headed in swift progress into the same direction.

http://tanaya.net/vmw/index2.html (Copy and paste)

Thanks,

Stephen

My three magnetic bumper stickers

"Support our troops - Bring them Home"

"Iraq is arabic for Vietnam"

A large W circled with a red line through the blue W. "Wake me up when it's over"

[Lisa]

For those of you, who can’t grasp the simplest of things in life, let me clue you in. The “Support Our Troops” car magnets do not mean support our troops in a monetary sense, they mean support our troops in an emotional sense. They are a sign of respect that we, the American people, are grateful for those that choose to serve and protect our freedom. If some company profits from these magnets, then so be it. That’s America at its finest, free enterprise. Many countries do not have this option; appreciate the fact that we do. When our military personnel come home on leave, or back from the war, they need to know that we are truly indebted to them for the sacrifices that they have made on our behalf. I plan on placing a magnet on my car as a way of saying, “Thank you” to each and every person serving in the United States Armed Services. It is also an acknowledgement to the families of these brave individuals. I have two nephews that have enlisted in the military, one in the Army and one in the Marines. I want them both to come home safe and sound, and when they do I want them to see that their aunt and their country are grateful to them. They need to know that the sacrifices that they have made on our behalf have not gone unnoticed. When I say sacrifices, I mean that they have given their time, their energy and their personal freedom to defend this country, our home. If that makes me an idiot (as stated by several of you) then that’s just fine with me. But I feel that many of you have completely missed the true meaning that these ribbon magnets were intended to project. Perhaps had they read, “Thank You Troops”, you would have gotten the message in its true context. America has become far too materialistic, as is very evident from the misinterpretation that many of you have shown to have. I for one am extremely grateful to those men and women who are willing to serve this country, both past and present. Without them, we would not enjoy the freedoms we have currently take for granted. So the next time you see someone with a “Support Our Troops” magnet on their car, remember, it’s not about the money, it’s about the indebtedness we owe each and every one of them.

[~A!]

It's funny you should say, becuase I have one of those "Thank You" Ribbons on my site, where I sell, well, car magnet ribbons of a liberal bent. (http://watchingthewatchers.org/fraudmag.php)

Why? Because we need to express ourselves, and our car is our only real sovereign space open to the public view. We feel powerful when we can broadcast a message that really agrees with what we have to say, and that makes us feel like even if we're not changing minds, we are speaking our peace.

~A!

[Spencer]

Those are the most ridiculous 'support' item I've ever seen. I wish the troops overseas well, but I'm not making some guy rich for it.
The 'inventors' (from a story in people magazine) are getting rich! They did send $50k for troop support. I figure they still have a few million laying around the house though.