Patriots and Hypocrites: Bumper Sticker Rhetoric

I know, you’ve got one of those cute little yellow decals affixed to the back of you new SUV; hey, it looks good, but more importantly, it broadcasts your patriotic sentiments to the world in no uncertain terms: You Support Our Troops! Wow! Such patriotism! What a courageous declaration. I’m sure your support goes beyond the mere display of a yellow ribbon sticker; you’ve undoubtedly written letters encouraging your congressional representatives to support our troops with adequate supplies and equipment.

Clearly, we don’t need the embarrassment of news stories telling about troops killed, maimed and injured in inadequately armored Humvees or of troops put in harms way without body armor. Frankly, it just doesn’t look good when some enlisted peon asks the visiting Secretary of Defense, at a PR staged news conference, why they are forced to pilfer junk yards looking for metal for fabricating vehicle armor; and, you are, of course, incensed by stories of commanders being forced into retirement because they dared to question politically driven Defense Department decisions. Oh, it also pisses you off to read about our troops being denied medical benefits when they return home injured. If that doesn’t quite make you want to relieve yourself, how about when VA hospitals and clinics are closed due to inadequate funding levels. If that still doesn’t quite do it, how about the efforts underway to sharply restrict long-term disability payments to the wounded veterans returning from Iraq. Hey, it all makes sense. Shoot, we’ve tried to make some of them pay transportation costs to and from medical centers too. Hell, what's a few bucks to those boys! Shit, they've laid their lives on the line; they know what it is to sacrifice. . .what's a few bucks to guys who've had to deal with life and death on a battle field. Well, gotta wrap it up here . . .I'm headed down to K'Mart. . .gonna get me a little yellow ribbon patriotism.

Ever on the watch,
Davy Crockett