You cant drive to the grocery store without seeing a magnetic ribbon that states support our troops. You never see an explanation tagged onto one of these yellow ribbons. So I’m going to ask the question. If anyone reading this has ever stuck a magnetic ribbon on there cars that says support our troops, maybe you can give me an answer: What does support our troops mean?
There’s a t-shirt sold on the website T-Shirt Hell.com that says. “God Bless America, except Iowa--Fuck Iowa.” It’s ironic, it’s funny, but it would be hard for me to believe that any reasonable citizen of the United States would actually feel this way. No one really questions these three word phrases that have become so ingrained in our society. There are 257 countries in the world, last I checked. If you think God should bless America does that mean that god should not bless all other 256 countries? God bless America, but curse Estonia.
You probably don’t think of Estonia or Iowa very often. If I told you Support Iowa. Then I ask you do you support Iowa or do you not. You would probably say. Well I i guess I support Iowa. . . don’t grow corn or something? Yes I support them. The same works with Support our troops. You don’t want to not support the troops. so yes you support them. They are fighting for our freedom. They are the reason I can say FUCK on a blog or burn the flag--because we have the right to freedom of speech, the right to public demonstration, freedom of the press. Freedom from an of Religion. Do you know what happens if you burn the flag in China? They fucking kill you. You want to protest in Tiananmen square, build a mosque anywhere--good luck.
Freedom of speech is why I can say Support our troops is only propaganda. What you are really saying is. . ."support our wars.” I got this idea from Noam Chomsky, I didn’t come up with it on my own accord, but I thought about it the other day when i saw that God Bless America except Iowa shirt.
Just the other day congress voted to uphold the don’t ask don’t tell policy of the U.S. military. I’m not surprised. In our democracy our votes tend to be cast by dead presidents and the Christian Coalition lists keeping the don’t ask don’t tell policy along with prayer in school and upholding the ban on gay marriage. The obvious question is What would Jesus do for a Klondike bar?
Support our troops doesn’t seem to mean much. Our troops have some of the most dangerous jobs in America but they get paid like we all have bumper stickers that say: support our troops, barely. Health care reforms that extend coverage dependents do not include members of military families. But the thing about supporting our troops is you either support all of them or you don’t. Are you really supporting our troops if you force some them into secrecy, not of classified information, but of their own personal lives? What if someone wants to join the Military and happens to be married to a man in a state in which it is legal? There is no laws telling everyone else to keep quiet about their wives.
If you are going to say you support our troops, but believe in don’t ask don’t tell why don’t you get a ribbon that says: Support our troops, except Fags--Fuck Faggot soldiers. Or ask yourself, If someone is willing to die for the country that has defied the odds(256-to-1 against) to become the greatest country in the world they should be allowed to fuck whomever they want as long as it’s legal and consensual. If they are willing to do this, die for their government--they should not have their first amendment rights limited because this is not fucking China.
This is the United States of America . In this Country you have to wait till you are 21 to drink, but can sign up for the military at 18. That is bullshit. I’ve never had anyone argue with me over that. If you are gay and have to adhere to the don’t ask don’t tell rule, you can not pull that same card when having to sign up for selective service. The same people that say don’t ask don’t tell never say don’t make the gay men over the age of 18 sign up for selective service.
I say if you can make the decision to fight for your country you should be able to buy a beer. If your country can make the decision for you to fight for them--you shouldn’t be forced to do so in shame.
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