By: Jerry Burke
In the beginning, there was the flag lapel pin. First, the politicians were required to wear them during every interview. Then they spread to the jackets and suits of American workers everywhere. Before we knew it, the flags were flying from the back windows of cars across our great land.
But the months passed, and as the flags withered in the wind, people searched high and low for ways to prove to everyone else that they were good Americans. There were bumper stickers, but they could ruin the paint job. No, America needed something secure but removable.
And, lo, the ribbon magnet was born. Appearing in 7-Elevens and Wal-Marts everywhere, the magnet ribbons took the country by storm. Now everyone could, for the retail price of $3.99, tell the world (or at least everyone on the Southern State Parkway) that they supported our troops.
The ribbon magnet derives from the folklore of tying a ribbon around a tree as a sign of welcome for someone who has been far away for a long time. In 1973, Tony Orlando had a mega-hit on the pop charts that told the saccharine story of a prisoner returning home after serving his sentence, urging his beloved to tie a yellow ribbon around an oak tree as a sign that he is still loved. While the debate still rages over whether playing that song violates the Geneva Conventions, it was a big step in consolidating the legend for pop-culture consumption.
And in a nod to good old-fashioned capitalism, no, the magnet profits do not go to charity. The $3.99 goes to the companies, some American, most not, that make and distribute them.
There's no way to tell how many magnets have been sold, and to be fair to these war profiteers, they make no claims of supporting the troops with donations. They also make pretty small change compared with other companies that turn a profit from war, and as far as I know, the Halliburton bumper stickers are not huge sellers.
But my question is, why bother? I understand the need to decorate the back end of one's automobile with colorful messages seen only by motorists driving too close to one's bumper. I also understand, and fully agree with, the need to give it up for the men and women in uniform. But do we really have to flaunt it six inches away from our exhaust pipes?
Instead of letting the neighbors know you're a real American because you've got an oversized refrigerator magnet on your trunk, why not send that $3.99 to someplace it's going to matter and actually support our troops? The Red Cross (www.redcross.org) is providing assistance to military families this holiday season, while Disabled American Veterans (www.dav.org/donations) is collecting money for the soldiers who didn't make it back in one piece. There's even a group accepting unused frequent flyer miles (www.heromiles.org) to help soldiers get back to their loved ones for the holidays.
The magnet may help you feel better, but words without deeds are meaningless. Support the troops, not the novelty industry.
Comments? JBurke@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
