# No memorial ribbon? Why not? (NOT politically motivated!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 26, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064 "2011-01-26T17:27:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/1 "2011-01-26T17:27:17Z")
The President didn’t wear the black and white ribbon on his lapel last night, while it appeared that almost every one else did. I don’t know if the military representatives in attendance did or didn’t. Is there a reason the President would not have worn one? I’m not accusing him of being unsympathetic or anything, I’m genuinely curious. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/2 "2011-01-26T17:29:11Z")
> [@Casey1505](#): > > The President didn’t wear the black and white ribbon on his lapel last night, while it appeared that almost every one else did. I don’t know if the military representatives in attendance did or didn’t. > > Is there a reason the President would not have worn one? I’m not accusing him of being unsympathetic or anything, I’m genuinely curious. There’s so many sympathy ribbons these days, I’m not sure what he’s not accused of being unsympathetic _of_. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/3 "2011-01-26T17:34:50Z")
[Black and White Ribbon](http://www.venusribbon.com/C1004_Black_and_White_Ribbon.aspx) I like the houndstooth! Ahh, Michelle Bachmann [also eschewed the black and white ribbon worn by most of her colleagues to honor Gabrielle Giffords and the victims of the Tuscon shooting.](http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/47669/michele-bachmanns-off-off-broadway-response/) _That’s_ what it means! Who comes up with these things, the Chinese? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/4 "2011-01-26T17:37:25Z")
In this case, the [Arizona shooting ribbon](http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dc/2011/01/gillibrand-does-ribbons-for-tucson-at-sotu). ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/5 "2011-01-26T17:39:46Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Who comes up with these things, the Chinese? Apparently the folks [who came up with this one were a couple of Congresscritters](http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2011/0125/Congress-wears-black-and-white-ribbons-during-State-of-the-Union). Dunno why Obama wasn’t wearing one, but remember he [frequently didn’t do the flag lapel pin either](http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1779544,00.html). Maybe he just doesn’t think lapel badges are all that significant, an opinion with which I personally would heartily concur. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/6 "2011-01-26T17:42:31Z")
I’m not sure it would be appropriate for the President to wear a ribbon like that. No cite, but seems to be a matter of protocol… ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/7 "2011-01-27T09:54:06Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Maybe he just doesn’t think lapel badges are all that significant … Sounds like a person I once knew who commented his son’s wearing a lapel pin with a portrait of some esteemed elderly political leader: “When I was young our political convictions were on the inside, in our hearts”. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/8 "2011-01-27T11:11:16Z")
Full marks to him. Personally, I find all such ribbons, bands and tokens to be a little distasteful. They strike me as being much more about the person wearing it than those directly affected. Even more embarrassing is the recent trend of football teams wearing black arm bands and holding minute silences for every “significant” death. ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/9 "2011-01-27T12:07:35Z")
You wear one once and, no matter how good that cause was, you end besieged by people representing other causes and have to set up with a whole dept. to decide which of a thousand others you wear the other 364 days of the year… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/10 "2011-01-27T14:21:29Z")
I much prefer the large ribbons one sees on cars. My favorite is a red one which reads “Support our Chinese ribbon manufacturers” I’ve never seen it in stores, but a car in our parking lot has carried it for some years now. ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2011, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-memorial-ribbon-why-not-not-politically-motivated/569064/11 "2011-01-27T15:05:30Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I much prefer the large ribbons one sees on cars. > > My favorite is a red one which reads “Support our Chinese ribbon manufacturers” > > I’ve never seen it in stores, but a car in our parking lot has carried it for some years now. You can make one that says anything you want here: > **[Support our ribbons](https://www.supportourribbons.com/)** The possibilities are endless! 🙂