Magnetic Ribons

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Support the troops ribbons...

Demonstrate support of troops overseas
0
No votes
Demonstrate contemptious idiocy
8
89%
Demonstrate "sheeple"
0
No votes
Demonstrate something else, but Killfile was a punk and didn't include it in the poll
1
11%
 
Total votes: 9

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Killfile
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Magnetic Ribons

Post by Killfile »

No interesting discussions on here so I'm going to start a rant. Those of you who don't live in the USA may not know about these, so, well... don't worry about it.

Ever since 9-11 there have been these little ribbons affixed to, well, everything. Little yellow ribbons to "support our troops" started the craze, but then there were little American Flag ribbons (expressing Nationalism... I mean patriotism), little pink ribbons for breast cancer, little black ribbons for MIA-POW, and a thousand other colors, patterns, and causes.

It's insane.

For those of you who have no idea what these damn things look like -- here's an image.

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The ribbons are obnoxious enough. But that's not enough for some people. The ribbon text is on a diagonal. Because some people need to be more annoying than the norm, they display the ribbon at an angle. This makes the text straight... and I guess easy to read. Unfortunately, my country has been taken over by right wing Conservative whack jobs.

Seizing upon the idea that you don't HAVE to display the ribbons vertically, the Christian nut jobs have begun displaying the ribbons sideways... so they resemble the little Jesus Fish.

I hate these. I hate them with the fiery vengeful passion of a thousand burning suns.

Discuss.
Last edited by Killfile on Fri Aug 26, 2005 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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TheDarkness
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Post by TheDarkness »

it's a matter of opinion.... who cares. in holland they have about 10 different kinds of arm braces that stand for anything from supporting aids to wanting violence in the world to stop... if you wanna wear something like that... do it... if you wanna wear it in a different way... go ahead.... free world and all
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Post by psi29a »

Free Speech, gotta love it.
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Post by MrFelony »

it doesnt really sound like you have a good reason to hate these people as strongly as you do...its their shit let them display it how they like. I find it amusing though that its that much of an afront to your sight :D. and possibly despite what you think, religious conservative people aren't all that bad, just the insanely zealous ones, who are just as bad as their opposite end of the spectrum if you ask me
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Post by Killfile »

Didn't say it should be illegal. I said it's annoying and it irritates me.

I also get this vibe that, when displayed sideways, there's this subtext that you can't support the troops (a meaningless phrase if ever there was one) without being an outspoken Christian.

Edit:
Upon verbal discussion with Psi I see that I need to expound on this point. The yellow ribbon is a symbol. A trendy symbol, but a symbol nonetheless. When a zealous Christian displays the ribbon sideways it is co-opted as a Christian, rather than a Nationalistic symbol. I find this appropriation distasteful because, by so copting it, the Christian also necessarily deprives others of it. Once co-opted, the ribbon is tinged with elements of Christian symbolism, making it less accessible as a symbol by non-Christians.

The problem is that symbols are powerful things. The dual meaning of the yellow ribbon is particularly powerful. Those that display it can do so as a method of declaring their own patriotism. Often, they then look down upon those that do not. More and more my country itself looks down upon those that do not express that same outspoken patriotism.

By making the symbol both patriotic and Christian, the patriotic symbol is denied to non-Christians. These individuals then are then put in a position of accepting a symbol of patriotism that may be religiously distasteful, or rejecting that same symbol - which, because of it's patriotic significance, may be equally distasteful.

I think it's wrong to put people in that position.
Last edited by Killfile on Fri Aug 26, 2005 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by MrFelony »

i dont think its meaningless. In my mind, i bet it helps a lot for these guys and girls over there that they see and know that their country is behind them. and i see the sideways thing as just some lame idea someon thought was cute that lots of people also thought was cute. I think its important that our country supports our troops whether or not we support the war itself.
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Post by Killfile »

MrFelony wrote:i dont think its meaningless. In my mind, i bet it helps a lot for these guys and girls over there that they see and know that their country is behind them.
But behind them how? Behind them enough to plunk down a few bucks for a sticker for the back of an SUV? It's too bad we're not behind them enough to vote for a tax increase to get better supplies over there. It's too bad we're not behind them enough to make sure that Walter Reed Army Hospital has the money it needs to renovate it's 1960s vintage medical facilities.

We support our troops -- but we don't really. We support the idea of our troops. But we don't want to pay the bills for the equipment, medical care, and pay raises they need to function.

Members of our military qualify for food stamps. That's criminal.

I think it would help our troops more if we'd stop SAYING we support them and actually do it.
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Post by TheDarkness »

OMFG.... just the idea that when you switch it sideways people say it looks like a fish and thus you say that that link irritates you.... If i were to say that if you place it upside down and it looks like a kung-fu fighting monkey and want to wear it like that would that irritate you????

come on you have to stand above petty things like this. Heck you could even say if turning it right is christian then turning it left is anti-christian.... i think this whole ribbon shit is just a load of crap that people invented jsut to make a few bucks more by aiming at the moral side of other citizens so that they think they actually care about some people that are getting their asses mutulated a few thousand miles further.

And i do agree that it would help if people supported their army with more then just words. But that is not up to me to decide. You have to look for a president that says he will put some extra funding asside specially for things like that. Then again people don't wnat the army to get better health care people want themselves to get better health care so the president promises to do that instead of investing in the army... It is all the fault of the normal citizen.... "I am first all others are second."
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Post by Killfile »

Any religions based around kung-fu fighting monkeys? No? Moving right along then.

Turning it left makes the text upside down... I think you're missing my point here.
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Post by MrFelony »

he is just trying to point out how inane it is to get upset about turning it one way or another and how one could interpret anything from it...he just did a bad job at it
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Post by TheDarkness »

Killfile wrote:Any religions based around kung-fu fighting monkeys? No? Moving right along then.

Turning it left makes the text upside down... I think you're missing my point here.
well actually the christianic fish is supposed to be turned in such a way that normally the text would be turned up side down
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and yes i was trying to point out that this whole ribbon thing is just plain idiotic
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Post by Killfile »

:stupid: :wtf: Huh? Are you just posting to see your name in print or is there some higher purpose to your writings? I don't think you really understand what I'm talking about here and, rather than just refrain from posting until you do, you're seizing on the one or two concepts you get and trying to argue about them.

I can't think of anything less central to the thread of discussion I'm trying to have here than in which direction the traditional Christian fish symbol points. I shall sit here for a while and endeavor to care, but I have serious doubts as to my ability to succeed in this attempt.

Of course, if current trends hold, you'll be responding to this message in the next 45 seconds or so with another one-line quip of questionable relevance.

Edit:

Oh, yea... on topic:
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Post by psi29a »

Wow, so lets get to the point without all the subtle ground breaking and the not quite getting anyhere.

In order to make a "Support The Troops" yellow ribben into a "I believe in Jesus and Support the Troops", one must turn the Yellow ribbon counter clockwise 90 degrees.

What this does is make the text "Support The Troops" display upside down.

In summation, doing this takes a symbol, subverts it to something it wasn't intended for and disenfranchises the original meaning of the ribbon.

What would most people think when you take a christian cross and point it upside down? Same concept, it is disrespectful.

In other words, doing so disgusts me and is vulgar. I respect others rights, however I find it quite rude that their religion (of which I think is a very personal matter) is projected on to me.
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Post by Tempest »

The way I see it, if you don't like the ribbons, close your eyes. Not only will you not have to put up with the stickers, but your drive will be a number of times more exciting and challenging. :kekeke:
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Post by Artezul »

All of this anxiety is irritating. I wish to disperse it.

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They do that (Symbolic ~ fish) to reinforce their faith. When you become into the religion, you tend to want to express to yourself and everyone else by showing it.

Perception is key.
Last edited by Artezul on Fri Aug 26, 2005 8:44 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by Ayanami »

I have to say I think those damn stickers are annoying as fuck. Especially when people turn it to resemble the Jesus fish. It is disrespectful towards the soldiers you were trying to "support."
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Post by LordMune »

Wraugh, christians. Keep your filthy mitts off' the ribbons! :evil:

Thank you for your time.
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Post by Devil_Dante »

I'm glad I don't have to see those crappy ribbons out here. And there aren't many REAL christians here either. I think most people out there just wear the Ribbons to show off that they actually "belong somewhere".
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Post by Ellen »

I think supporting the troops through a sticker is ridiculous in it's own right. Why not send your kids there if you support them that much? Hell, go there yourself!
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Post by Devil_Dante »

Ellen wrote:I think supporting the troops through a sticker is ridiculous in it's own right. Why not send your kids there if you support them that much? Hell, go there yourself!
Damn Straight!

Like those soldiers would appreciate stupid ribbons.
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Post by Necromancer »

Yeah, all show offs.

and:
psi29a wrote:What would most people think when you take a christian cross and point it upside down? Same concept, it is disrespectful.
You know there are "many people" wearing reversed crosses.
But most of them are pseudo Goths or some pseudo satanists that don't know what satanism is.
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Post by Buzkashi »

I had this great pic. But anyways. I love how all these gas guzzling SUV's have these "support the troops" magnets on them. If you wana support this war for oil then stop driving the suv? err... it went something along the lines of that.
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Post by halfnhalf »

Buzkashi wrote:I had this great pic. But anyways. I love how all these gas guzzling SUV's have these "support the troops" magnets on them. If you wana support this war for oil then stop driving the suv? err... it went something along the lines of that.

but then what are all the soccer moms gonna drive???
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Post by Buzkashi »

Ill still drive my suv. Im just not gona have a support the troops in there conquest of the middle east magnet up.
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Post by Skullkracker »

after reading some of it...ermmm...sooo...shish, I rather not get involved

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