“Support the troops”, well duh, it should be a no-brainer. Then why would people affix a magnetic ribbon to their vehicle proclaiming the need — as if there is some question whether this is a good or a bad thing? What is the basis of these constant reminders or rather, what is the underlying message? And more pointedly, what is the root cause of the small pang I feel when noticing a “support” ribbon festooned upon a vehicle? Should I not rather puff with pride instead? I display a flag emblem on my car and patriotically pledge allegiance while at attention during appropriate occasions, but yellow ribbons trip something desultory to my sensibilities and even though that should not be the case.
Are there layered implications to this simple slogan: “support the troops”? Well, for me the answer is assuredly yes.
In like manner, a sticker that reads: “I love my wife” aggravates similarly. At once, so unquestionable a phrase, overtly stated, seeds doubt as to some hidden agenda. When an obvious expression requires utterance, might this signify a covert meaning and/or a desire to extinguish any reasonable thought about whatever the subject. Blind obedience is… well, blind.
And then something extraordinary is noticed and an explanation is discovered. Ken Ham speaks at the Pentagon , reads the headline to a news article. A driving force of ignorance, as exemplified by the Creation Museum, was invited to speak at the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense. Granted, the Pentagon is 23,000 members strong and one of the largest office buildings in the world — while, creationist Ham spoke to only 150 souls — but the mix of military and God always leaves me feeling just a bit creeped out. Then came the eureka moment, when the association between yellow troop ribbons and car bumpers correlated closely with the display of religious stickers.
As a religious expression, “Support the Troops” fuels a morbid fascination with death and destruction, sin and retribution, good and evil — no moral relativism, no gray areas, RIP.
Tags: blind obedience, fear mongering, military-industrial complex, nonsense slogan