[QUOTE=brownie55]
Great. I put on a grey polo this morning. Am I supporting the Confererate troops?
This looks like one more way to separate “us” and “them” with the non-red shirt wearers being strongly them.
[/QUOTE]
Well, I did mention, my shirt today is a Yankee shirt and I am sure a lot of New Englanders are wearing Red Shirt’s with a certain logo or name today to show support of something other than the troops. 
Jim
[QUOTE=Maus Magill]
I’m wearing red, but it’s because NC State will play (and probably lose) tomorrow. Personally, I resent being told how to show my patriotism. So had I heard about this, I’d have probably worn my black shirt with the NC State logo.
[/QUOTE]
They damn well better lose.
-SpazCat, ECU student
[QUOTE=Cartooniverse]
Our country’s history shows that it is a short skip and a jump from national pride to near-fascist thinking. ( Senator McCarthy, your table is ready…) Before long the issue will not be who is wearing a red shirt on Red Shirt Friday, but who is not…It seems to me that this movement is distinctly UnAmerican in tone and concept.
[/quote]
Before long? It’s already started. Re-read that last sentence.
Will be? See above.
You missed one aspect of the former.
There’s something else our country’s history shows. As Tom Wolfe put it, “[Gunther Grass] sounded like Jean-François Revel, a French socialist writer who talks about one of the great unexplained phenomena of modern astronomy: namely, that the dark night of fascism is always descending in the United States and yet lands only in Europe.”
You know, I live just across the bridge from that most craven pit of unAmerican sentiment and liberal anti-military venom, San Francisco. And even here, the streets are positivly clogged with cars bearing “Support our Troops” ribbon magnets, American flag decals, and other assorted patriotic decorations. (My favorite was the pick-up truck I often saw at my last job, that had, mounted in the rear window of the cab, a laminated picture of a weeping American eagle superimposed over the burning World Trade Center.)
So, I’m not really sure who the fuck this “silent majority” is that’s referred to in the OP.
No way. Friday is Hawaiian Shirt Day.
[QUOTE=Miller]
You know, I live just across the bridge from that most craven pit of unAmerican sentiment and liberal anti-military venom, San Francisco.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but that’s Marin.
The only red shirt I own is red satin with plush devils. Maybe I’ll wear it to the next dopefest.
[QUOTE=Miller]
You know, I live just across the bridge from that most craven pit of unAmerican sentiment and liberal anti-military venom, San Francisco. .
[/QUOTE]
I will BITE YOUR FACE OFF, and if I see any of the veterans wearing red anything on my way out of the hospital I will kick them in the knees and knock them over. In San Francisco, thats just how we roll.
[QUOTE=lobstermobster]
I will BITE YOUR FACE OFF, and if I see any of the veterans wearing red anything on my way out of the hospital I will kick them in the knees and knock them over. In San Francisco, thats just how we roll.
[/QUOTE]
Yup, them pacifists flock together. :rolleyes:
The mayor of Philadelphia recently declared a day when we were all supposed to wear Red to support the Philllies on their way to the World Series. :rolleyes:
We all see how well that worked.
I think the big problem with these things is that your creating a dividing line between those who think “patriotism” equals “going along/getting along” and those who prefer to think for themselves. And people who are at all on the fence are going to wear the red shirt, putting the onus even more on those who don’t buy into this bullshit.
If you were looking for a way to divide people, you couldn’t do much better.
[QUOTE=NurseCarmen]
[/QUOTE]
Well said, NurseCarmen. All too often the “support the troops” phrase is used to suggest something completely meaningless, from yellow ribbons to flag lapel pins. The troops probably don’t give a gnat’s fart about who wears a yellow ribbon at home - they want support, especially our paying for medical care for wounded veterans, for example. It’s pointless to try to “support the troops” with some meaningless symbol that does not correspond to an actual action (and certainly not - GASP - to a sacrificial action!!) that will support them.
I guess if the war starts going even worse, we could always switch over to our brown pants.
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow]
I guess if the war starts going even worse, we could always switch over to our brown pants.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure we need to involve the United Parcel Service in this scenario. But hey, whatever floats your unAmerican troop-loathing boat. 
I like the posters who say don’t wear something, DO SOMETHING. Anything. Volunteer. Donate books. Write a letter. I’m a devout pacifist and cannot stomach the military machine, and I fly. A lot. I’ve walked up to people in uniform ( Most of whom appear to be my son’s age and he’s 17 :eek: ) and thanked them for their service. Most are gracious, I guess/hope they get that a lot.
I can loathe the policy and respect/support the personnel. Should I do more? Yep. Some of the suggestions in this thread give me food for thought.
I’m going to go ahead and join the list of those stamping Nurse carmen’s War Tax idea.
[QUOTE=garygnu]
Red Shirts
“The away team will consist of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Doctor McCoy… and Ensign Rickey.”
[/QUOTE]
[Ensign Rickey] Aww, crap. [/ER]
As for who the “silent majority” is, that’s pretty simple, really. These are the same folks who’ve been oppressed because they’ve been unable to get a Christian elected President in this country.
You know who almost always wears red shirts? Hugo Chavez, that’s who! And according to a forwarded email I just got, he’s cavorting with Iranians and Russians and they all eat Baby Casseroles roasted over fires of Puppies and Kitties while they Thumb their Noses while Unknowing Americans buy Citgo gasoline and support their Evil Plans… or something.
I’ve been in or worked for the US Navy since 1973. But I didn’t wear a red shirt yesterday - guess I’m just some sort of commie/socialist/terrorist sympathizer. Because, you know, my life’s work means nothing compared to my wardrobe.
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan]
…As for who the “silent majority” is, that’s pretty simple, really. These are the same folks who’ve been oppressed because they’ve been unable to get a Christian elected President in this country.
[/QUOTE]
Not so silent, though. “Help! Help! We’re being oppressed!”
What about everyone who works at Target?
[QUOTE=FairyChatMom]
I’ve been in or worked for the US Navy since 1973. But I didn’t wear a red shirt yesterday - guess I’m just some sort of commie/socialist/terrorist sympathizer. Because, you know, my life’s work means nothing compared to my wardrobe.
[/QUOTE]
You see? It’s just like my sig line. Here is one honest person. She admitted in public that she didn’t wear a red shirt yesterday. One.Then we’ll have ten. Then ten million. By gum, we’ll have a Red Revolution on our hands before we know it !!
Unless you can demonstrate how our troops in Iraq and Half-and-again-stan can see our red shirts and yellow magnetic ribbons from over there, it’s a Dumbass Idea! You’re wearing the shirt to make yourself feel better, and you aren’t helping the troops one bit.
If der trihs has explained why he chose to call himself red shirt, I missed it. There’s another meaning, though. In college sports, an athlete gets only 4 years of eligibility to be on the team. If a freshman (first year) player gets injured, or needs a lot of development, the coach can “red-shirt” him. It means he can work out with the team, and practice with them, but he stays home on game day. The goal is a more seasoned player with 4 years of eligibility left.
Some schools, such as Notre Dame, are very firm about being 4 year schools with athletes who graduate. They seldom red-shirt anybody.