Those Patriotic Magnets

Yes, they irritate me. And yes, they're usually on humongous SUVs. So it was interesting to find an article that made just that point - and more. It's by Richard Joseph and is entitled, "Those patriotic magnets". Here's some excerpts:

As the war in Iraq perpetuates, and American casualties increase, so does the popularity of the slogan "Support Our Troops." These three words are highly visible on American roads, and can be readily found on the rear-bumpers of vehicles, as part of that familiar ribbon logo. But with this war of multiple dimensions, I've often wondered: "why would someone place a statement of support on an object of cause?"
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So why is it then, that the "Support Our Troops" logo appears on so many vehicles nowadays? More paradoxically, why do some of the largest passenger vehicles on American roads -- ones that get the worst gas mileage of all possibilities on the market -- also confidently display "Support Our Troops" logos? This is a question that boggles my mind. Frankly, I've spent many a day behind the wheel trying to figure this enigma out.

Could it be that many of us have forgotten all the years of oil-induced U.S. involvement in the Middle East? Might memories of the gas shortages of the seventies, or burning oil fields in the first Gulf War be long forgotten? Is it possible that we've become completely distracted from the deeper cause-and-effect relationships intertwined within this current conflict in Iraq? I mean, it's not exactly brain surgery to connect the dots after considering that the world's second largest oil reserve -- next to that of Saudi Arabia -- is under Iraqi soil. The natural progression of these dots arrives to the notion that "if we turn our backs and bring the troops home now, then there is no predicting what would eventually become of that petrol supply. But if we stay, and mold the new Iraqi government into American allies, we will have ultimately secured another vital source." Whether this is an explicit goal or not, it's still a very important factor that keeps our military engaged in the fight.

Therefore, it's a mistake to place a "Support Our Troops" logo on the back of an object that is preventing those troops from coming home right now. How are any of us supporting the troops if, by using our vehicles, we maintain the daily demand for 8.7 million barrels? Let's not kid ourselves. Through indifference to our oil dependence, we are keeping the troops rooted in place, and fortifying a formidable barrier in their quick return. This gesture of "Support Our Troops" when placed on the back of any vehicle is a paradox of the most disheartening of natures.

Now I want to share an interesting experience I had yesterday. I was driving home on Harvard and got behind a pickup truck with several red, white and blue bumper stickers. I assumed they’d be pro-Bush and was preparing to be disgusted. When we came to a stop and I got close enough to read the bumper stickers, they were all liberal. One said, “Church – State: keep them separate.” Another said, “The greatest threat to freedom: The Radical Religious Right”.

And I truly repented of my assumptions about people who drive pickup trucks!

UPDATE: This article was picked up by Smirking Chimp and I just read a comment by Thalia that I must share with you:

My clients are all upper middle class Stepford wives and husbands who live in McMansions in a very Republican/conservative town, not a common thing in Massachusetts.

They are, for the most part, two SUV owning households, and these magnets abound in this town.

By far the majority I've spoken to support the war in Iraq and love George W. Bush. However...

Not one has a kid graduating from high school and heading over to Iraq. The kids in this town have one of the best school systems in the state, and it is taken for granted that they will go to college, college is indeed where these kids are heading come the fall.

I do not know of even one kid in this town with plans on joining the military, no parents who are insisting their son or daughter contribute to a war they ferociously defend in support of a murderous president they ferociously defend.

There is a total disconnect from reality for so many Americans. They buy the SUV advertisements thinking they too will somehow suddenly be rugged off-roading adventurers instead of what they really are: soccer moms who need an SUV to get to the beauty parlor once a week and their tennis matches 4 days a week.

They convince themselves that other people's sons and daughters voluntarily, and for the pure patriotism and joy of it, joined the military, no consideration of their economic or other circumstances need enter the minds of these clones. They also are completely unable to make the connection between what would be their own horror and terror at their own kids going off to war and the fact that other mothers are actually experiencing these terrible emotions and worries.

For these insulated, overprotected robots living in suburbia, the magnets, in their minds, are the equivalent of fighting in Iraq. It makes them one of the troops, in their deluded minds.

Reality plays no role.

UPDATE #2:

I just found an article on Common Dreams entitled, "An Open-Letter to CEO of Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford, Jr." that is about those magnets, gas-guzzling SUVs and the reason for war. It is written by a mother whose son was killed in Iraq. I recommend it.