I’m sure most people remember how shortly after 9-11 everyone started wearing those little American flag lapel pins on their suit jackets. No big deal, thought I. Temporary jingoism. It’ll go away.
It’s been almost 5 and a half years now, and they’re still everywhere. I assumed at first that it was just because I work for a government contractor and most of my co-workers are commonly on government sites.
But then, as I was watching the NFL playoffs this weekend, I noticed that every single talking head was wearing them. J.B., Dan Marino, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason, Greg Gumble (or is it Bryan? I can’t tell those two apart), and Phil Simms. All of them wearing little flags on their jackets.
I still see them on every Law & Order whenever there’s a closeup of Jack McCoy.
Bill O’Reilly wears them, too. In fact, every newscaster (or political commentator who considers him/herself a newscaster) wears one. I see it on all my local news shows and all the national ones as well.
And while we’re on the subject, can we get these people who have American flag stickers on their cars to take them off? And the flags that hook on the car windows? Bring them out on the 4th of July and Veteran’s Day if you must. But you really don’t have to fly them 365 days a year.
Really, people. Enough is fucking enough. I know everyone got swept up in patriot fever after the World Trade Center attack. And I’m sure that nobody wants to be the first to take them off, lest they be accused of hating America and wanting to bugger Saddam’s corpse. But seriously, nobody will notice if you take off your little flag pins. Except me. But it’ll make me happy if you do.
I [ersonally have no intrest in what other people are wearing. They’re not hurting me any. Also, I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. Why should I?
If I did notice what other people were wearing, I would also be sick of those pins. I know a couple of people who wear them and it’s like they’re presenting a note from George Washington permitting them to criticize the president.
…Maybe some of us wear them because we genuinely love our country? I don’t wear one myself, but Walgreens does allow cashiers to add small tasteful bits ‘n’ pieces of jewelry above their service pins, and I’ve thought about it, but have refrained for precisely the reasons amply demonstrated in the OP: because there are unfortunately people in the world who would interpret it the wrong way and get in my face about it.
Anyway, not to sound repetitive or anything, but why the fuck do you care what opinions, whether religious, political, or otherwise, people choose to express via their clothing, hairstyles, jewelry, whatever? Do you also get exercised about multiple cartilage piercings, “Oh, that’s so been done”? How about Hasidic earlocks? Those inspire you to Pit-thread-worthy ire? What about POW/MIA bracelets? Those getcher dander up?
And I suppose those WWJD pins are just beyond the pale, eh?
And is it only American flag bumper stickers that you demand we remove from our cars? Are you okay with WWJD and Save The Whales and Ducks Unlimited and If You See Me Driving Unsafely Call 1-800-GIVE-A-SHIT?
How about Kerry/Edwards 2004? Have any strong feelings about those, or should we all get out there today with the blow dryers and the baby oil?
I wore one for a while after 9/11, but the one I wore was paired with the flag of Afghanistan as a gesture of solidarity with all the innocents there who were going to be killed by the US in pursuit of the handful responsible for the WTC attacks.
I’m sure most of us remember how shortly after we found the internet we started posting those little typed-in thingies on “message boards.” No big deal, thought I. Temporary chattiness. It’ll go away.
It’s been around 14 years now, and the messages are still everywhere. I assumed at first that it was just because I log onto the Web from a computer and most of my co-workers are commonly on computers too.
But then, as I was watching the NFL playoffs this weekend, I noticed that every single advertisement mentions a website, and a lot of those sites have message boards. All of them, with little bits of text right there for anyone to see.
I still see them on the SDMB whenever I log in to read a column by Cecil.
Even the Wall Street Journal does it, allowing readers to enter editorial responses on their Opinion Journal website. In fact, every newscaster (or political commentator who considers him/herself a newscaster) seems to have a blog or a message board. I see it on all my local news shows’ websites and all the national ones as well.
And while we’re on the subject, can we get these people who have portable internet devices to turn them off? And the free public wifi locations? Log on if there’s really something important you need to do. But you really don’t have to check your email every couple of hours 365 days a year.
Really, people. Enough is fucking enough. I know everyone got swept up in internet fever after the World Wide Web became really widespread in '94. And I’m sure that nobody wants to be the first to log off, lest they be accused of being a luddite and wanting to back to CompuServe on dial-up. But seriously, nobody will notice if you shut that fucking computer off. Except me. But it’ll make me happy if you do.
I don’t think you’ve ever seen that happen, nor had any reason to believe it might happen. Maybe you live in an area full of commie pinkos or something, but it doesn’t happen in normal places where decent people live, like New York.
Did you just fall off the boat today or something? There are plenty of people in this country who are rude enough to shoot their mouths off no matter if it’s none of their damn business.
I thought it was mostly veterans who wore these lapel pins. Basically, if I am close enough to you to notice that you’re wearing one, I am much more concerned with your bad teeth or my garlic drenched lunch…
Someone can actually SEE what NFL commentators have on their jackets? How big is that TV screen? (or maybe I need glasses?)
I got one when I joined the Elks club years ago. I like it. I still wear it from time to time. I like the U.S.–otherwise I’d live in one of my other favorite countries instead. I have U.S. flags on pins, t-shirts, and even a belt buckle.
I’m not going to change just because it became a fad, nor am I going to change just to please you.
I remember Archie Bunker wore one on All in the Family back in the seventies.
I don’t wear jewelry, beyond my wedding ring and wristwatch. But if I had one of these, and someone insisted I wear it, I’d take the opportunity to wear it upside down, in the manner of indicating distress (as long as Bush-Cheney or anything like them holds the WH).
Well, I just looked, and my calendar doesn’t state that it’s “Look at me!”-day, so I’ll assume that rant was written as meant, and not a whoosh.
Ashtar, why would you care what other people wear as a concious statement of love-of-country? Even if they had a flag lapel-pin for 9/11 and just haven’t gone to the dry cleaner in a while, try getting some perspective.
I chose to wear mine on my lapel because I happen to like where I live, the freedoms I have (we can table the erosion discussion for another thread), and the people (gasp!) who live here with me. I support my country when it’s at peace, and when it’s in a tough spot. I also respect the office of the President, even if I think the current occupant is a knucklehead.
If you want people to ask you leading questions about your political beliefs, so you can drop a well-reasoned “I hate that President guy, and I also don’t like the USA very much” on us, go start something in IMHO…
Because that’s what this whole rant boils down to.
