Hi, Phaed. Likewise.
I’ll throw down here. About a month ago, there were two sailors (in uniform) in a local bar that I frequent. I think they managed to pay for a couple of the many drinks that they had - but only a couple. The other patrons, including me, saw to it that they paid for only a couple (I think we sort of lost concentration as the afternoon wore on). It was a mere gesture.
This past winter, two young men dined at the restaurant that I worked in. One was on leave (or something). He had just done a tour in Iraq, and was soon to return. The other was about to go for the first time. Marines, I think. I bought them dinner. Another mere gesture.
Is this supporting the troops? In a very, very small way, it is. Clearly, it is not supporting all the troops.
Is saying “I support the troops” supporting the troops? It’s also a gesture, but talk is even cheaper than dinner and drinks.
Is donating to the USO and the other troop-support organisations supporting the troops? Yes, surely it is.
Is posting on a message board that you support the troops supporting the troops? I don’t think it is. It’s not like rooting for a baseball team. I think you have to actually buy a ticket. I realise that tax money pays for this - but it pays for everything, whether those things are “supported” by us or not. Otherwise, everyone supports the troops (every US taxpayer, at the very least).
So, I guess I can say that I have supprted four troops (actually, since the war began, I have supported the alcohol intake of several more). In a very small way. Very small, indeed.
By the way - the two young men that I bought dinner for. While we didn’t discuss it at length, I think they knew that I am against this action in Iraq. They didn’t seem to care much, if they did know. There are people within the services that question the strategy of this war - it’s not the firebreathing debate inside that it is outside the military, I believe. It’s just a debate.
Also - in that barroom - I’d be surprised to find more than a couple, among the many that bought drinks for those sailors, who agree with the war at the moment. That bar is not exactly a conservative stronghold.