We’ve all seen them: The little magnetic ribbons on peoples cars that make the owners of said cars feel better because they “Support The Troops.” They feel like they’ve done their part to support the troops by sticking a magnet on their car that the troops will never see.
This guy is starting an Anti-Magnet Campaign, and I support him 100%:
Why are you doing this?
We believe that there is strong possibility that the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan might be a little far away or maybe even a little too busy to be checking out the pseudopatriotic magnet on the back of a 1986 Geo Metro as it drives down I-95 or sits in an Olive Garden parking lot.
Why do you hate America?
We don’t hate America, we hate that people think slapping a stupid magnet on the back of their car has meaning. Mostly everyone in this country supports the troops and hopes they will return safely. Maybe you should be telling them directly in person, on the phone or in a letter and not driving around with a big magnetic banner you probably got at Wal*Mart that simply attempts to prove to everybody but the troops that you support the troops more than everybody else.
Link via BB (just digging through my old links, don’t mind me).
Comments
Geez. is this guy pathetic or what? The ribbons are sold to RAISE FUNDS for efforts that DO support the troops, including Caring for Troops right here in Bend.
Sure, it’s easy to get on your high horse and say, “eliminate the middleman – send them a package yourself,” etc. But this is just ONE example of how people give funds to charities to help people. And then they get a little thingy to stick on their car and say they did so. What the hell is the harm in THAT?
AntiMagnet
I guess my gripe is that these people are only doing it because it’s currently the cool thing to do (getting those magnets). It’s actually a great fund raiser, and I’m all for it, because it brings out the folks who wouldn’t otherwise support the troops (which everybody should). They feel like they’re better than everybody because they have a little magnet on their car (which they can remove once their short-lived support for the troops subsides)
Personally, I’d skip the magnet and just give the organization the $5 (which I have). That way they keep all of it, don’t have to pay for the magnet, and the troops get all of it.
Just my two cents.
I don’t have a magnet on my car. I do have a soldier in Afghanistan that I write to on a regular basis, and I occasionally pop a note to some of his buddies. I had a friend who was in Iraq for a year with the Oregon National Guard. I wrote to him while he was deployed, and now he is safe at home.
And Yoleen, you’re supporting the troops far more than that magnet ever will. Thank you.
Be careful who you buy the magnets from. Not all are being sold for fundraisers. Some are being sold for pure profit–the American Way.
My air national guard family readiness group sells these magnets to help pay for family events and yes sensding care packages. many groups donate the packages but do not think of the high cost of postage. as a result we fundrais to send our guys and gals their goodies. in addition, our magnets sales allowed our goup to put on one of the best family day functions for our returning airmen and women and their families. with out those people spending thei 5.00 to feel good our families and their children would not have had a trully memorable experience.
its a farce. putting a yellow sticker is as much a statement about supporting troops as much as buying a hat to support the night. think that doesnt make sense? of course it doesnt.
What about bringing them (the troops) back from that stupid and nonsense war?
Now THAT’s support!!!
Come on. Let’s stop being so hypocritical
http://www.funkyribbons.com
The solution!
to those who think these magnents raise money…think again. When they first came out, yes…but as the popularity has grown, so have the profits and none have gone to support the troops or breast cancer or color-blind dogs. The money goes to the guys who manufacture them and the store that sells them.
next time you’re in CVS, ask them how much of the proceeds go to the troops. you’ll see.
“Geez. is this guy pathetic or what? The ribbons are sold to RAISE FUNDS for efforts that DO support the troops, including Caring for Troops right here in Bend.”
They do NOT support the troops. None of the money sold goes to any charity organization. I work for a Fortune 500 retail chain and these magnets are produced in China with none of the money whatsoever going to support the WAR or the Troops.
See, that’s what’s wrong with people. They can’t just do something out of the kindness of their hearts…They have to brag and say, “Look everyone! I donated money for this cause! Look what I did! ME ME ME!” Just donate, don’t advertise what you’ve done to make you feel like a better person. Like you did your good deed for the day…I just don’t see the point of the awareness stickers…It’s great that people donate but everybody knows cancer exists, violence exists, etc…You are not enlightening anyone on anything with your lame ugly-ass awareness sticker. This fad will be short-lived I predict.
Okay, this is a shameless plug, but if you are truly sick of those ribbons like we are, then please take a look at our anti-ribbon magnets at getdeo.com.
As a Navy wife, I support the military every single day of my life, and will do so for the rest of my life. The ribbon is just something cute that I chose to put on my car. I like the idea of having the magnets because when I buy a new car, I don’t have to search for and buy new stickers for it. I can just transfer over the magnets. Also, it saves the people at the dealership the time they would have to spend scraping off stickers, and from what I have heard, having stickers on your car makes the trade-in value less.
I was looking at the comment just made about the money going to the troops, and that is not at all true. Yes they are saying the money is going to the troops (I have been researching because I am doing a report on these stickers and the effect they have been having on the increasing crime rate around military bases) and if any only a 10% money return to the troops is donated by the sticker companies (especially for the yellow ribbons) and 10% of $1.50 no so much, and the stickers put you in harms way they mostly let people know that you have someone deployed and that you are probably home alone it’s as if the stickers are saying come rape and pillage my family and I.