In the DC area it seems to be an inclusionary badge. It's as if they are all screaming: "Look at me! I support the Troops! How about you?!" More than half probably have no clue about what it means to be a soldier/sailor/marine.
Most people have this romantic notion of what it means to serve their country. I don't because I have served. Yep I was a slave to the US Navy for almost EIGHT years. I've earned the right to vote (as Heinlein would say), and I've earned the right to be cynical about all of these stickers. If these people really supported servicemembers... they would support them making a hell of a lot more for their sacrifice. Married pay should go away... replaced by an above the board raise to all servicemembers (why should one guy make more because he/she got married)? If done fairly, no servicemember would be on welfare... and pay would be above minimum wage. Basically, when servicemembers begin to make more than a slave wage (due to out-to-sea or in-the-field hours being in excess of 12 per day, 7 days a week.
Today, I finally saw two ribbons that show how assanine these things really are. I always love it when I see a like-minded person (eg. another Randian). This guy's ribbons read: "Support Strippers!" "Support Badgirls!" Damn, that person is awesome. :-)
posted @ Monday, November 21, 2005 2:05 PM