On our recent trip to the midwest, my American wife and I noticed that "Support Our Troops" bumper magnets and lawn "ornaments" were almost as abundant as American flags. Instead of flags, Canadians are content with a little Maple Leaf in McDonald's golden arches. In Canada, we know what country we are in by the plethora of Tim Horton's and km/h signs.
Somewhere in Indiana, we discussed the safeness of this phrase "Support Our Troops". Frankly, a magnet that says, "Support Our Troops" is as safe as displaying the Stars in Stripes in America. In fact, it seems a bit redundant. "Support Our Troops" doesn't really say anything, does it? It certainly isn't as provocative as "Out of Iraq, NOW!" or "These colors don't run." "Support Our Troops" doesn't suggest a stance with respect to any issue. In the current climate, one would get more of reaction by having a donkey or an elephant on your bumper sticker.
No matter what your position on the "War with Iraq", you can display a "Support Our Troops" magnet on your bumper. If you are against the War, to support our troops is to bring them home. If you believe in the War on Terror, then to support our troops is to increase their funding and increase troops in Iraq. Even the magnetic nature of this bumper propaganda is suggestive of a lack of commitment, nothing dates your opinion like a sticker (Bush/Cheney '04).
The problem with "Support Our Troops" is that it gives people the illusion that they are actually making a statement. For a people that came up with catchy phrases like "Make love, not war.", "Fight Crime. Shoot Back." not to mention the Darwin Fish. Really, "Support Our Troops" seems far too polite, maybe even a little Canadian.
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