# Should we support everyone trying to make a buck on the tragedy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 20, 2001, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531 "2001-10-20T01:07:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/1 "2001-10-20T01:07:49Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=93947](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=93947) I say let them be hung out to dry. It seems to me to be a bit evil to make money on a tragedy. What say you? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/2 "2001-10-20T01:13:54Z")
I agree. It reminds me of an online comic I read (I forget which one now). It featured a guy waving a little American flag with a caption similar to, “[bob] figures out a great way to be patriotic. He’s going to make millions off of his flag company” ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/3 "2001-10-20T01:15:30Z")
No one forces people to buy things like t-shirts and flags. But I understand that some companies and businesses have tied up people trying to take advantage. For example, I heard that eBay will not allow the auction of WTC and Pentagon memorabilia. Haven’t checked this out, but I also understand they may have warnings about certain military collectibles such as Nazi ensignia. ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/4 "2001-10-20T01:44:29Z")
nobody is forcing you to buy that stuff (except flags which if you don’t have outside your shop , your shop gets burned down esp if you are not caucasion) but then people selling WTC rubble on ebay is going a little too far , not even sure about bomb fragments or bullet casings i was offered in vietnam on a short vacation ---
**Author:** ![octothorpe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b77776/32.png) [@octothorpe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octothorpe)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/5 "2001-10-20T02:20:11Z")
I personally feel it is the crassest form of capitalism. To pay $39.95 for a ‘legal tender’ hand-painted, one ounce, silver dollar (with a spot market value of $4.26) is not patriotic, it’s stupid. Oh sure, they will ‘donate’ $5.00 for each coin purchased, hell, in the future they might up it to $10.00! All they have to do is adjust their ‘mark-up’. You will still throw away a lot of money for something that will probably never be worth more than spot. Do you want to make a difference? Give blood, food, warm clothing, cash, whatever… don’t purchase something from these blood-sucking lepers! Oh, and do you want a flag? There are plenty of stores that have carried flags for decades. I’m sure they will be able to supply your needs. AND, you will get a properly made flag. Support those businesses that support your community, state and country. These are your neighbors and your friends. They are not likely to play on your sympathies to turn a buck. I rant… sorry. # ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/6 "2001-10-20T02:24:34Z")
[aside] Y’all do know where the flags you buy are made don’t you? **China** [/aside] ---
**Author:** ![Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Violet)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2001, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/7 "2001-10-20T18:37:46Z")
Hmm. Some flags have “made in U.S.A.” tags. But we could be paranoid there… ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/8 "2001-10-22T01:04:13Z")
I don’t think that we should suppourt them. Sure, buy a flag, but you don’t need one of those awful posters that show the towets on fire, and an eagle crying. That is going too far. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-we-support-everyone-trying-to-make-a-buck-on-the-tragedy/88531/9 "2001-10-22T06:19:59Z")
Well, the image of the crying eagle is just _tacky,_ any way you slice it. It’s right up there with velvet Elvis and “dogs playing poker” for the “Why would anyone in their right mind paint this?” _kivtsch_ award. I don’t mind the flags and the T-shirts, but “commemorative” coins and pieces of rubble are a bit much. Better to buy a [Monopoly XP T-shirt](http://www.digiserve.com/eescape/shirts/StoreComputers.phtml) instead. 😃