Not a bad idea.

[Twidget]

I have recieved this in email format a couple of times now. Its not really a bad idea.<br /><br />RED FRIDAYS ----- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority". We are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. We get no liberal media coverage on TV, to reflect our message or our opinions. <br /><br />Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends, simply want to recognize that the vast majority of America supports our troops. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday -and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a deafening message that.. Every red-blooded American who supports our men and women afar, will wear something red. <br /><br />By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United States on every Friday a sea of red much like a homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family. It will not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly mo re than the media lets on. <br /><br />The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can we do to make things better for you?" is...We need your support and your prayers. Let's get the word out and lead with class and dignity, by example; and wear some thing red every Friday.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Not a bad idea.

 

[Limited-Time]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Vlad, <br />I don't think the showing of unity is meant to solve any thing. It’s meant as a physical sign of support for our troops. Possibly a way to increase moral, by showing support from home. The information highway flows in both directions. Seems to me solders hearing negative reports as to their reason for deployment and objectives could cause them to be less effective in the field.

 

[Twidget]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Limited Time sees it the way I do.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Not a bad idea.

It gives people a chance to feel good about doing something constructive.<br /><br />Some will donate time & money to make a difference in the lives of soldiers. Others will wear red on Friday and, having done their duty as good citizens, look down with disdain on anyone not wearing red.

 

[Vlad D Impeller]

Re: Not a bad idea.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Originally posted by jtexas:<br /> It gives people a chance to feel good about doing something constructive.<br /><br />Some will donate time & money to make a difference in the lives of soldiers. Others will wear red on Friday and, having done their duty as good citizens, look down with disdain on anyone not wearing red.

So now you just "know" what everyone will do/think? Wow, will you go to Vegas with me & enter a poker tourney so we can "know" what cards everyone is holding?

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Won't work here in football season.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Boatbuoy, I was going to state the same thing.<br />However, i will be wearing red every Friday, even if i am not wearing my red company shirt. <br />I would rather have seen SRD Orange as the color of solidarity. This is because the "club G'itmo" shirts are that color, and the wearer can be seen miles away <br />

<br />This is me in my old city shirt...Note the holes.

 

[jimonica]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Telling someone to support the troops is like telling someone to love your mother. Who doesn't love their mother? And who doesn't support the troops?<br /><br />Lets go back and look at the whole genesis of the "support the troops" statement. It came from Richard Cheney on one of the Sunday morning news programs. After which all the Republican politicians and conservative pundits went on a big "support the troops" campaign.<br /><br />The statement in itself is telling someone to support the troops. As if someone is not supporting the troops. If it was merely to show support for the troops, why didn't the statement say "I support the troops".<br /><br />The Republicans and their supporters used the troops for political purposes, just the same way they used the Iraqi people for political purposes with the purple band aids on their fingers to simulate the purple dye each Iraqi had on their finger after voting. It was a feeble attempt to show that Bush's war was working.<br /><br />This red shirt thing is just another in your face attempt by conservatives to try to portray themselves as some kind of "super patriot". And like jtexas said "look down with disdain at those not wearing red".<br /><br />Which brings me to ask a question of my Republican friends on this board. How many of you troop supporters are willing to pay more in taxes to increase military pay? How many of you troop supporters are willing to pay more in taxes to assure are troops get the proper equipment? Or medical care? Or proper funding for the VA? Lets put your money where your mouth is.<br /><br />An eighteenth century writer named Samuel Johnson once wrote; "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel". When I see members of this administration accuse other Americans of not supporting the troops I can't help but think of how enlightened old Samuel Johnson was.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Not a bad idea.

I don't need to wear red to show my support. I'll gladly show anyone my form DD-214. Being a vet is support enough to me....

 

[Parrott_head]

Re: Not a bad idea.

How about this.....<br /><br />Instead of a "Pretty magnetic ribbon on your rust bucket" effort or a "Hmmm, wonder what pair of shoes goes best with crimson?" fashion statement why don't you contact your local military base and see if they have a program where folks can hook up with those that may not have the means for sharing a good holiday meal cause they are stationed away from home?<br /><br />Sometimes I think our support for the troops is a mile wide and a half inch thick.<br /><br />Contact the base Chaplin for any suggestions they might have.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Not a bad idea.

put your red shirt (and while you're at it, that stupid yellow rubber bracelet) back in the drawer. take the time to send a care package to the troops. will mean much more, trust me.

 

[Twidget]

Re: Not a bad idea.

No need to apologize Vlad. <br /><br />Hmmm, now I am getting attacked for adopting a dopy liberal type action...by the liberals. What a deal. <br /><br />The pay issue would not even cause me a second thought. The military deserves a raise. It is really pathetic the way the VA is funded. Cuts should be made in some gimme something for nothing programs and both increased.<br /><br />I am a medically discharge Navy veteran. I come from a long line of veterans in different branches of the service. In my current state, I cannot serve, so considering wearing a red shirt may make me feel better. If I were younger and not on disability, I would reup to serve again.<br /><br />Oh and I do know some people who think you are crazy if you join the military or support it. Seems to me the city and county of San Fransico, CA just voted to stop recruiting in schools and colleges there.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Originally posted by jimonica:<br /> Telling someone to support the troops is like telling someone to love your mother. Who doesn't love their mother? And who doesn't support the troops?

Truely this must be a joke jimonica. You are bashing your own partys' invention. Maybe you have a selective memory. It was the liberals, who after taking such a beating on the way they treated Vietnam Veterans, that coined another useless, meaningless term, "I support the Troops".<br /><br />Now when the shoe is appears to be on the other foot, you recognise the absurdity of it. Give me one fat huge break! <br /><br />And just in case you cannot distinguish the difference, the Conservatives not only support the troops, they support what the troops are doing.

 

[theriver]

Re: Not a bad idea.

heres me on Fridays...<br /><br />

 

[jimonica]

Re: Not a bad idea.

Boomyal,<br /><br />I see Richard Nixon's propaganda campaign is still going strong.<br />During the height of the Vietnam anti-war protest there were maybe a 1/2 dozen to a dozen flag burnings a year. But the Nixon administration made it out that an anti-war protest didn't take place without a flag being burned. Even today there is maybe one flag burning incident a year maybe. For the record even one is to many.<br />Same thing happened with spitting on the veterans issue. There is only one documented case of a veteran being spat upon and that involved a case of a group of VFW members spitting on a Vietnam Veteran anti-war protester. In fact a large percent of anti-war protesters were Vietnam Veterans. But here we go again Richard Nixon trying to capitalize on peoples patriotic heart strings and went on a propaganda campaign to discredit the anti-war movement and made it out that the protesters were the ones doing the spitting. <br />How many time have we herd about vets being spat upon? Again, you'd think it happened all the time.<br /><br />In fact when John Kerry started making headlines with his anti-war protesting, Nixon hired a young decorated Navy Vietnam Veteran to be the pro-war anti-Kerry. This young decorated Navy Vets name? John O'Neil. Yes, the same John O'Neil from the Swift Boat Liars. <br /><br />You see it just keeps on going, the Republicans just can't help themselves, every time they're in trouble they have to reach into the deck and pull the patriot card.