Glibbertysmidgeon

Last weekend, Kris and I drove out to Long Island for a birthday party. I noticed that there were a lot of those yellow stickers that say “Support our Troops” on the backs of the SUVs and BMWs that we encountered along the way.

These stickers offend me. The message I read is “You don’t support the troops because you don’t have a sticker like mine.”

Putting up stickers and ribbons strikes me as a preachy way to make our safe selves feel better about all those men and women that are dying in Iraq, but I don’t see how they do anything for the troops themselves.

A pet peeve, I confess. Still, my reaction makes me wonder.
What does it really mean to support our troops?

During the second world war, the government gave very specific instructions. People were told to ration food, learn first aid, restrict travel, collect scrap items, conserve rubber, and conserve fuel. I am sad that we have not been given any such instructions for this war.

In lieu of any official instructions, I’ve compiled my own small set of “Support our Troops” ideas.

• Donate money to the USO to help buy calling cards so they can phone home for the holidays.
• Donate unused air miles so soldiers home on leave can fly home from the military bases.
• Contribute to Homes for our Troops: They help injured vets adapt their homes for accessibility.
• Contribute to the Wounded Warrior Project, which works to help wounded veterans adjust to life as disabled civilians.

As American citizens who owe our freedom and lifestyle to the sacrifices of soldiers past and present, it is our duty to watch their backs in any way we can. To me that means more than sending money to good causes or slapping on a yellow sticker. We all also need to:

• Follow the war closely.
• Be aware of the number of casualties- both deaths and injuries.
• Pay attention to any complaints, concerns, or fears the soldiers voice, and honor their requests
• Ask ourselves daily, “Have we sent them to fight in service to a cause that is necessary, and worth their precious lives?”