Troop ribbons being sold for profit

snip..........

Retired Col. Thomas P. Thomas, executive director of the nonprofit Connecticut National Guard Foundation Inc., didn't realize the battle he was facing in the war of the ribbons until last month, when he noticed something strange at the Berlin Fair. People who gladly would have bought his ribbons in the past were turning up their noses at the product he displayed in a booth there.

Over the past year the foundation has given away roughly 8,000 ribbons throughout the state in exchange for a $5 donation, Thomas says. All proceeds go to support scholarship programs or to provide financial assistance for Connecticut families who have spouses serving in the Middle East.

According to state officials, 500 deployed Connecticut troops have left behind 650 dependent family members, including 248 minor-age children. Many of these families struggle financially, as most take a drastic pay cut from their civilian jobs when activated for missions lasting 12 months or longer, Thomas says.

snip...........

Thomas says his foundation's ribbons are supplied by a Pennsylvania company and are made in the United States. Many others are made in Asia and typically come wrapped in a clear cellophane package, he says, adding that those ribbons are thinner and tend to fall off in the least bit of inclement weather.

The cheaper varieties tend to be sold by profiteers, he says.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ct-fea--troopribbons1112nov12,0,7797887.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

Are we talking "Support the Troops" ribbons? Or service ribbbons?

When I saw the first one I told my wife some smuck is making money off those things, just so some pharissee can show the world how much they care.

I'd stop buying my gas there, but every other gas 'n' gulp is selling them too. I especially hate how people "Jesus fish" their ribbons. :puke:

Dude should have put in for a copyright.

I told my husband they were trying to make it look like a Jesus fish, and he thought they were just trying to make it more readable.

Oh, I forgot. The real purpose of all those patriotic consumer goods is to 'show your support' for the troops, not actually 'support' the troops. Got it. :crazy:

I think a lot of people are profiting from this venture and it is not the families of soldiers or the soldiers.

Pay the Troops.

:)

_________ home. Were used during the Iran hostage crisis. and now it essentially means send more troops.

This summer with a few of my Democratic friends we went on a road trip to Canada. I kept seeing them everywhere along the way and commented, Jeez we must be communists since we don't have them on our cars. We all then laughed, the profits are sure going somewhere and it isn't going to the troops. I'd bet most are made off shore too!!!!

On a side note I fly my flag daily and now am going on my 3rd since 911. My brother flies a service flag for his daughter who has been overseas since getting a 2 wk notice last Feb.

There every were around there then every frickin car has one
until this thread made the Jesus Fish idea dawn on me.
I though the hight of the hypocrisy was when i saw a sigh on a gas station that said buy 10 gallons of gas get a support our troop ribbon for 2$ while they last. Then ya see some one putting the center of the loop right over there gas cap. I still shake my head in disbelief. :(

The whole magnetic ribbon thing reminds me of David Cross's sketch on "Shut up you Fucking Baby" about the emptiness and meaningless of much of the ultra-patriotism we're seeing now. (I'm paraphrasing here, but it's something like: "Join the flag club! For only $19.99, you too can have the ultra-patriotic flag yard display kit! Show your neighbor who's more patriotic! Flags everywhere! Flags on your car! Flags in the windows! Flags on your cake! Flags on your sheets! Eat a pill and shit out a flag!")


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