Did it ever occur to you that some people would prefer to personally assemble a care package and enclose a hand written note? Of course not, just throw some cash their way, that’s all the support they need, and you get that patriotic glow with minimum effort.
Seriously, just because there are alternatives does not make it necessary to shut off a perfectly acceptable, and to many people, preferable means of showing support for the troops.
The extent to which some of you people will go to support the government line at all costs and denounce dissent is apalling. I see a return to the stifling climate of the 50’s in which any deviation from the Pleasantville straitjacket of approved behavior is seen as deviant or unpatriotic. I hope your children turn into beatniks, hippies or whatever the 21st century equivalent will be.
Are you serious? Regardless of the fact that you don’t see annonymous packages as a security risk, the people responsible for the security think that it is indeed one. They’ve provided half a dozen other ways to establishing contact with men and women serving overseas and sending them stuff, but you think that the Pentagon is, um, doing what, exactly?! It’s a friggin’ implementation detail, with nothing to do with support of the troops.
Frankly, your objection is petty and non-sensical. Your repeated defense of it makes it look like you could care less about the troops, you are just interested in slamming the administration over an implementation detail.
Listen, Fucktard, I have a family member serving in Iraq, and I resent your implication that my motives are anything less than in the best interests of the the patriots serving there. I will continue to give his address to anyone who wishes to send him letters or packages, and I resent my government’s attempts to make me feel like a criminal for doing so. So go fuck yourself with a rusty hammer, Asshat.
Get off your high horse and back on the saddle. If you are so petty that you will only do something nice for the troops serving overseas – many of whom don’t support the war, and probably all would rather be elsewhere – if you can do it your own way, then your sentiment is shallow indeed.
And, since this policy has been in effect since October 2001, it’s pretty clear that you would have never had the opportunity to assemble your own care package with handwritten note to send to “any servicemember.” So, in effect, you’re pitting the prohibition of something that you have never taken the time to do. That is pretty damn low. I’m not sure if the label “hypocrite” precisely fits this situation, but it ought to.
And as far as dissent, I’ll put my antiwar record up against anyone here. I have been against the Iraq war from even before its beginning, I have never waivered in my position that it was a reckless, shortsighted, disasterous, murderous act. I also recognize, however, that our troops signed up for the job to defend our country, not to be sent to a war that is a mistake of a buffonish president. Our troops deserve whatever tokens of appreciation that Americans choose to send them, by whatever means it gets to them the easiest and quickest. In fact, just because of this thread, I sent a phone card to Any Marine serving in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Maybe he’ll call you and tell you that you’re being a jerk.
Finally, I don’t need to be lectured or threatened about the counterculture. I grew up in Berkeley, California. I know those hippies and weirdos that you’re trying to scare me with, and they’re not bad people. I’d have no problem if my children grew up to be punks, hippies, or beatniks, so long as they have the compassion to help those who are not as fortune as themselves, rather than using them as a pawn in a hollow political rant.
Please note that I never said that was your motivation, but that it is the impression that you give from the way you argue. It’s an important distinction, but one that I fear is lost here.
Have yourself a fine rant, but I’d prefer to hear why you think that all methods of sending care packages are needed when there appears to be a legitimate security concern with one method. Only a slight change is needed to remove that risk, and yet you think that it is an insult and insidious plot to remove that risk while giving several other equally functional and easy methods to send packages. Yes, it’s a small restriction the ways available to you to send care packages, but does it really make a difference?
The only danger I foresee is from my own government for violating a Pentagon directive, and inviting the wrath of the Feds on the SDMB and myself. For that reason alone I must decline your offer to incriminate myself.
Does this mean we can’t send our coffee markouts specifically to troops from our community? Or do we have to send it through approved donors to any troops? How’s that working?
I don’t personally know the troops our store supports with coffee and candy donations, but I do know some of their family members as customers. They were only too happy to provide the addresses so that we could personally thank them and remind them that their community is thinking of them.
It’s not that you have to send via approved donors, or even that you have to be on a list. You only have to have a name to send your care package to, and have your return address on the package. The ‘Any Service Member’ program was anonymous both ways: The senders didn’t ID themselves, and they were sent randomly to deployed units.
Again, the announcement that Fear Itself is pitting is simply confirmation of a three year old policy. If you’ve been sending packages since late 2001, you’re still able to send them to the same addresses.
Thanks, OtakuLoki, for clearing that up. I just saw the line that only family members and friends should send packages and such to service members and was slightly confused. My understanding from the families whom I know was that they appreciate it when members of their community send stuff to their kid, brother, aunt, etc. because it gives them some kind of comfort. We’ve had such great letters back from the men and women out there when they get our stuff, it’s nice to know that you can send a little home their way. I can’t wait until they come back and thank us in person. It’s quite an uplifting experience for such a small gesture.
I just would be very disappointed if the DoD spoiled all that.
Another good program is www.booksforsoldiers.com. There’s a forum for all branches of the service. Some folks post specific wants (I sent Madonna’s bio to some poor soul and Bubba Ho Tep to another) and some don’t care, but they’re all very appreciative.
Make sure your post office knows that you can use the Media Mail rate to APO addresses, saves a bundle. It only takes a few days longer for mail to get to Iraq than it does to Canada or places in the US. And you know that Media Mail applies to DVDs and CDs too.
You have to fill out a Customs form, but they’re destroyed on the other end, so no need to fear (as if anyone would) that a terrorist will have your address.
But the problem you are complaining of doesn’t seem to exist. THere are plenty of available avenues to send stuff to the troops. That they shut down this particular one, quite awhile ago, doesn’t mean what you seem to think it means.
