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Kathy MacAllister of Gunnison writes:

To Diana Carlson-Sherbo and Paul Sherbo.
Please allow me to respond to the editorial in the Sept. 22, 2007 Rocky Mountain News regarding support to the troops and their families. My son, James, is in the Army, just now finishing his first 15 month-tour of duty in Bahgdad. He is with the 1st Infantry Division and has, I am certain, lived through more hell than I will ever know. He lost more than a dozen friends in combat last year. In August, he lost one of his closest friends since grade school; they joined the Army the summer they graduated high school, both believing passionately that it was the right thing to do.
I take great exception to the statement regarding the yellow magnetic ribbons on cars; “The troops and their families don’t really feel that kind of support, if you can even call it that.” Please, please do not make this statement for the rest of us!
I, for one, mouth a silent “Thank You” any time I find myself behind a vehicle with a yellow ribbon because I know all too well there are people who will not put one on their car for fear of being accused of supporting the war. I smile anytime and anywhere I read, “Support our Troops”. While I do not disagree that there are many, many ways to support the troops, please do not presume to discount any support, no matter how insignificant you may deem it to be. Personally, I am grateful for it all.
So, allow me to send a heartfelt Thank You to all those who support our troops, in whatever way they choose. Thank You to the people who put the big sign on the side of Hwy 285 on the way to Denver. Thank You to the people who stop me in the grocery store to ask about James and tell me they are praying for him. Thank You for the beautiful presence of Patriot Guard riders who volunteer their time at military funerals. Thank You to the strangers who stop James on the street and thank him for his service and to the barber who won’t let him pay for a haircut. Thank You to the sweet elderly lady who, after witnessing our very emotional and tearful reunion at the airport when my son was home on leave last May, stopped us to say that was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen and now she knows why she prays for our troops every day. Of course, Thank You to all of you who send cards or packages, donate to organizations, shovel walks, help with child care – whatever your heart directs you to do. You are all appreciated more than words will ever say. And Thank You for each and every yellow ribbon I see!

This letter has not been edited.

READER COMMENTS

"Thank You for the beautiful presence of Patriot Guard riders who volunteer their time at military funerals."

to keep you safe from the "God Hates Fags" religious lunatics that America's obsession with biblical literalism has spawned.

I, for one, mouth a silent “Thank You” any time I find myself behind a vehicle with a yellow ribbon..I for one mouth "What a Douchebag"

Does that count the Hummers with a Bush/Cheny sticker?

Yes, slap that ribbon magnet on every car then drive drive drive to show your support.

Our dependency on oil isn't the reason the troops are there, is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmsOIjzQ1V8

Supporting our troops is more than just a magnetic ribbon on the trunk of a car. The whole idea was started by a sign maker in (I think I recall) South Carolina who sold these ribbons for $3.00 and donated all the proceeds to a fund to support the troops and their families. Some enterprising people saw this fad was catching on and decided to capitalize on the idea and pocket the money for themselves. Some of them, apparently, were even produced in China. The folks that bought the ribbons are quite sincere but those who are profitting from it are scum.

It never fails. Someone writes a nice letter about supporting the troops, and then the petulant children come out of the woodwork to post derisive and sarcastic replies. What a pathetic existence they must lead to be so angry all the time.

Kudos to Ms. MacAllister for her support, and best of luck to her son.

Hit the nail right on the head Andy. The letter speaks for itself, but a lot of people need the last word to feel like useful human beings, even if they aren't.

I absolutely LOVE these ribbons because they are literally the very LEAST we can do...
They make me feel so good and feeling good is what it is all about.

"They make me feel so good and feeling good is what it is all about."

This is rich. To judge by your sarcasm, feeling happy in life is some sort of negative? Feel free to go back to your guilt/pity/anger party, but don't invite me.

Kathy, thank you for your letter. Its hard for some to understand sacrifice as they were raised by vermin.

I, too, have children in the military - yes they volunteered. We don't have a draft anymore so we don't have the draft dodgers with rich daddies, like so many of our leaders were. Now those kids with rich daddies can stay home with no stigma & party. It is easy for people to say, well they volunteered - so what - they deserve to be killed in a senseless was that is not accomplishing anything?? I appreciate people who really support the troops, whether they support or oppose the war. I appreciate people who send packages and try to help our young men & women whose lives are on the line over there in a civil war between factions who have hated each other & killed each other for centuries. Some people may even really feel something when they put the yellow ribbon on their car, but for most people, it is an empty gesture, showing more support for the government than for the kids themselves. In other wars, citizens were asked to sacrifice for the war effort. In WWII, we even had rationing. What do people sacrifice now??
How often do you even thiink about these young people if you don't have someone involved? How often do you try to help a family whose service man or woman is over there & they are stuggling to get by. A lot of service families don't have enough to live on & don't have rich daddies either. But we wouldn't want the government to help them - then all you good folks would be yelling about socialism. Are their lives not important enough for a living wage? How often do you visit the horribly wounded & try to help them or their families? Their lives will never be the same. That is what I think would count as real support to the military "volunteers". Do we believe they should receive good medical care, or is that socialism again? And what about the unseen wounds - the mental & emotional wounds that come from the horror or war. Many of us are old enough to know Vietnam vets (not Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld or any of their cronies with rich daddies), who have never gotten over their experience of Hell in that jungle. Now we have a whole new generation that will experience that Hell - with the attendent mental problems, broken families, damaged children losing their parents. Where is the support for them?? A lot of people are very gung ho about this war, & if you disagree with them, you are a traitor, unamerican, siding with the enemy. How many of these hawks have sent their own children over there to die. I absolutely oppose this "war for nothing". These people are not going to stop hating & killing each other no matter what we say. They are not capable of democracy - look how they treat their women - like cattle. But I absolutely support the troops - my children & their companions in harms way. A yellow ribbon is not real support - Why don't they say "Support the Troops - Bring them all home - SAFE - NOW.

Thanks Tom,

"Its hard for some to understand sacrifice as they were raised by vermin."

I think this is directed at the Bush twins....raised by a draft-dodging coward that doesn't understand sacrifice. Why haven't they enlisted?

When our family had "at troop in harm way" (Bushism) those ribbons just said to me "we will make them stay longer".

That is phony patriotism as its best if the ribbon flasher does nothing else.

China is financing this war with loans, and they make the stickers, so I guess we would
have some chance of stopping the war funding if we stopped buying magnetic ribbons made there. (joke).

I got into the yellow magnetic ribbon business and I have made a bundle. War is good for the economy.

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