Shard

In the news this week because of you know who.

But on a broader perspective, should these unfortunate families be manipulated by the nation this way? By conferring gold star status isn't it just perpetuating the big lie evident from the Vietnam War, that some young men/women are entirely expendable?

Lion in Winter

A gold star in exchange for the life of your child seems wholly inadequate and trivializes the loss imo.

Most of the US's current wars are a racket off which some profit while others die, on all sides. Giving out stars to the families of young men and women used as cannon fodder in the business is a PR exercise.

When people die for things that truly need fighting for, by all means honour them.

Shard

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks cynically about this. PR exercise is a good way to frame it. I'm watching the Vietnam War documentary right now, and think that lead me to draw the parallel. I hadn't heard about gold star until this year, but they seem to be acquiring mythological status now. As their Commander in Chief would say...sad!

Lion in Winter

I can't fathom the loss. My son has to register for Selective Service this month, since he's turned 18, and while that is a very long way from actually being drafted the thought that someone like Trump, or some of Dick Cheney's business interests (Halliburton) could get him killed is way beyond the remotely tolerable. A gold star is a sticker on a child's chart at school. But killing and dying is not a children's game.

moneypenny20

Good grief, they can get gold star licence plates. That's just plain weird.

Lion in Winter

Yeah.

My son/daughter was killed, but I can get this plate/bumper sticker/window decal, etc.

moneypenny20

And they get a call from Trump being tactless. Wow, what more could you want???

scrubbedexpat099

More reserved spots outside Home Depot?

dc koop

It may come as a surprise to you but some families who have lost loved ones in wars are proud to have gold star license plates.
Many of these veterans may have died in wars that were far less "glorious" than World War 2 but the families of these fallen don't quite see it as you do that a gold star displayed is something "weird"

I think some respect is in order here.

dc koop

Killing and dying definitely not a child's but tell it to a family that their gold star is comparable to "a sticker on a child's chart at school" rather than posting it on a forum catering to expats from foreign lands

Anian

To me, it looks like they are making a holier than thou proclamation.

dc koop

What's losing a son a daughter or a father got to do with feeling holier than thou ?

Lion in Winter

You are missing the point - which is, that giving a family a gold star when their child is killed is a trivializing act of disrespect precisely because of how these stars are generally used and how disproportionate this "recognition" is to the loss - and on top of that how they get used for political pr.

dc koop

But you are doing exactly the same by trivializing something that many families are proud to display on their front porches.

Are plastic red poppies sold on Remembrance day trivializing ?

Lion in Winter

I can't be "doing the same thing" because according to you it isn't a thing at all.

Poppies are not awarded to individuals after a family member dies. They represent the collective memory and respect of and for all. They are the colour of blood spilled in Flanders where the poppies grew and a reminder to think long and hard before sending young people to die again. Originally, they were made and sold by wounded soldiers to raise money to care for other wounded and disabled soldiers after WWI.