ugacrew

Singing 'God Bless America' might not help the troops directly but it does serve as a reminder and a way to unite the home front, which is just as important as the battle front, of what is going on. I'm sure you've heard the phrase 'United We Stand, Divided We Fall'. Well that's the edict that is being put into practice. Plus there are very few occasions where you'll have a mass gathering of US citizens.

As for your comment on the stickers. The support goes beyond the sticker. You can't assume that patriotism ends at that. Placing something like a bumper sticker or a yellow ribbon magnet on a car is only part of it. There are care packages that are put together by those who don't even know people out in the field that are sent. There are pen pal relationships developed with soldiers who have no one at home. We vote citizens into office in good faith that they will support the troops with legislation. We fight at home to make sure that veterans come back to ample health care for their physical and mental well being. We take care of spouses and dependents that have loved ones fighting over seas. We do it all.

However, I'm thinking that your thoughts might be influenced by the attitudes that I read about towards troops in the UK. You may not share in the mindset but I do have to wonder. I read this article through a thread that was posted on TIO about how when the troops come home there is no great welcome home or a pat on the back.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...en-heroes.html

Perhaps not the right source to quote with it being the Daily Mail but it does make a statement about attitudes. Also the idea that Parliament is considering an Armed Forces Day in 2008 blows my mind away when other countries have had something similar on the calendar for decades. We actually have 2 days on the calendar, Memorial Day and Veterans Day. If there's something similar on the UK calendar please let me know.

http://news.aol.co.uk/brown-consider...12194709990002

HoosierDaddy

Not the Queen but my dad has a picture of JFK (the person not the airport) up on the wall next to his chair in the living room.

dbj1000

You're reading other people's posts in a blinkered fashion.

Putting a Chinese-made yellow ribbon magnet on a 2-mile-per-gallon Tahoe does nothing whatsoever to support the troops, and that's the point being made by elfman. It's a point that has nothing to do with British attitudes to our armed forces. His point (and mine) is that there's plenty of lip service given to supporting the troops over here, but few people actually do anything about it. Clearly you're the exception, and as you've told us, you've lived in military communities where one would expect many more people to actually actively support the troops.

"Unity at home" was used as a phrase to demonize any opponent to the Iraq war. If you weren't trumpeting your support of the war, you were branded unpatriotic. Choosing not to support this impossibly terrible war has nothing to do with supporting the troops, or being patriotic.

And yes, the UK has Remembrance Day on November 11th every year to remember the dead of the World Wars and other conflicts. People buy red paper poppies to support military charities, and people actually observe a one-minute silence (unlike my experience over here, where nobody stops talking for the supposed minute's silence).

Don't somehow assume that America has a monopoly on patriotism and supporting its armed services.

Kali-forniarrr

Ha HA. perhaps SUV car deaLers and new development realtors are new terrorists in these changed times!

Giantaxe

Hilarious. I suggest you check the origins of Veterans Day! Memorial Day, iirc, has its origins in the aftermath of the civil war.

elfman

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...ingParades.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...ndonParade.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...stnutTroop.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...Deployment.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...ianExpress.htm

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...tishPublic.htm

Giantaxe

Indeed. I have a good friend who's in an organization that supports troops in Iraq and who is also adamently opposed to the war. Here's their website:

http://www.bluestarmoms.org/

I really admire her work for this organization. She continually gets branded as being unpatriotic, "stabbing the troops in the back" etc for her opposition to the war. And yet she continues to devote her energies to actually helping the troops.

zargof

I have to agree with elfman on this, all the "Support our Troops" stuff smacks of tokenism. I mean every time I've been to ATL there is always a group of soldiers either coming from or going to Iraq, and sure enough there will always be someone from USO rounding them up and parading them through the airport like a bunch of showponies. The thing is if you look at the soldiers' faces many of them are visibly uncomfortable and/or embarassed by it all. I can understand the reasoning behind it all, but I just don't think it has any benefits.

Then again, it's better than it was during Viet Nam, when the crowd would be more likely to spit at the soldiers than clap...

Lorna at Vicenza

[QUOTE=Ash UK/US;6528864] I seldom see anyone fly a flag in the UK

/QUOTE]


The Times March 2008
Ministers will this week announce the lifting of restrictions on flag flying that have been in force since 1924. They will allow public buildings to erect flagpoles and fly the union jack and national flags, including the cross of St George, the Saltire of Scotland and the red dragon of Wales every day.

At present, flying national flags from public buildings is restricted to 18 days a year, which include the Queen’s birthday and Remembrance Day.

surly

My old Dad never got a parade when he came home from National Service in Cyprus in 1957.

elfman

neither did my old man - but he never went further than Crail in Scotland, and doesn't speak with a great deal of fondness about his years in the RAF.

Bluegrass Lass

One can support the troops in making sure they get the care they need, but that doesn't mean you have to support any war. Every death is a waste of a life, and we should do anything we can do to help prevent that. The people who think we are still in Iraq for a reason just have blinders on.

Anyways, I completely concur with Dbj..right after 9/11, everyone was on the 'patriot' bandwagon.."let's go kill us some terrorists, God Bless America"..yadda, yadda, yadda. Everyone was quick to make sure they took their hat off during the national anthem, and wear lapel pins, and put bumper stickers all over their cars. It was all a front to make themselves look good, and feel good about themselves - they only did it because everyone else was doing it, because it probably meant very little to most people.

I will most likely never wear a flag pin, put bumper stickers on my car, fly the flag or sing 'God Bless America.' I want God (if he/she exists) to bless the world because everyone is deserving of blessings. To sing GBA just shows how arrogant we are to think we are the only country that deserves to be blessed. I'm ashamed of the benchmarks that are now being used by the Right to show patriotism. To be a real patriot, one needs to show it by their actions and contributions to society, not flimsy symbols that will be gone tomorrow.

surly

I think most of those that did National Service have a jaded view of the Military. My dad was for some reason put in the Military Police (RMP) and spent most of his time fighting with our own soldiers. Pulling them out of brothels and settle local grievances, like non payment of taxi fares and the busting up of bars.

anotherlimey

This thread is bombarding me with "John McCain for President" adverts.

Anyway, I'd like to know what an acceptable show of patriotism is? I mean, the ribbon thing I've never really liked but what more do you expect?

Tootsie Frickensprinkles

[QUOTE=Lorna at Vicenza;6531448] That's only public buildings .. not private residence. In spite of some of the rubbish that's been spouted over the last few years about the restriction/banning of people flying Union flags or George crosses so as not to 'offend' others, there has never been any such rule.

The Union flag has slowly but surely been repatriated from the BNP, fortunately.