Are they going too far?

Princess

I feel like I am a moderately patriotic person. I bought Old Navy flag tee shirts for my whole family. I wore mine the day of the memorials shortly after Sept 11. I have a flag sticker in my car window.

My husband told me of an article in USA today regarding the flags everywhere. It questioned whether they serve as a show of support or a reminder of the tragedy thus making us unable to move on. I don't know about your home town, but there are flags absolutely everywhere here. Yesterday I was peeling an orange for my kids and noticed there was a flag sticker on the orange. I personally feel this is taking it a bit far. My orange supports the USA. Is it okay to eat it?

Princess

VeniceIT

oohhh pheeww good thing your not still a JW you'd prob have to deduct time for eating that orange on break!!!

Ven

"Injustice will continue until those who are not affected by it are as outraged as those who are."

Princess

Not me Ven, I counted my time very liberally! I'm sure the pioneers would shudder to hear it.

Princess

COMF

It's the times, Princess. Stuff like this comes and goes. A favorite flash-animation cartoon website (jibjab.com) has taken down its cartoons that poked fun at the US administration, with the explanation that "none of us at JibJab felt comfortable broadcasting our library of political parody animations. We hope you understand our decision to temporarily take them off line..."

If it's wearing thin to you, you can be sure it's wearing thin with everybody else, too. A lot of this is just commercialism. These days it's sometimes difficult to distinguish genuine patriotism from jumping on a bandwagon to make a fast buck. The message is, "Hey, lookitus, lookitus, we're patriotic, buy our stuff!"

Just do what seems good to you, and don't worry. The rest will take care of itself in the natural ebb and flow.

COMF

ISP

I'd eat the orange. Just my opinion..............

ISP

Quester

Hey, I wonder if they make chocolate
candy flags too--red, white, and blue frosting.
I'd eat it.

But seriously, I think the flag thing is a
little extreme and I don't like being pressured
to be like the crowd--wave, wear, post that flag.

Quester

logical

Its probably been injected with a mind control drug, such as LSD. Dont eat it.

Pathofthorns

Just a bunch of corporations taking advantage of people's emotions to capitalize on the religion of patriotism combined with the government's skillful use of propaganda.

I have no problems with people loving and supporting their country. But there is something wrong when people feel pressured into supporting it in such a shallow way, and when those who choose not to express their support in such a way are made to feel 'unpatriotic'.

Path

mommy

Princess,
This topic is something I have been thinking of as well. I must admit to being sick over the first few car commercials. You now the kind that showed the pics of NYC and then offered no down payment or no interest, just out to make a buck. They discussed this on Politically Incorrect about a month ago, and most of it boils down to commercialism.

I think it is a shame to use this tragedy to promote your products. One restaurant I went into had several pictures 8X10 of various nationalistic scenes, but they weren't selling them. They were giving them away for a donation, whatever you wanted to put in the pot, then the money was being sent to Red Cross. I ended up giving $10.00 for a flag pic, the caption read, "These colors don't run!" but if they were for sale even for just $1.00 I never would have bought one, unless the money went to charity.

To use this time to promote your product will get no money out of my pocket. But if you recognize it and show your support, I am more willing to look your way when time to purchase something. You can tell the difference in presentation, but I guess it boils down to advertising anyway huh?
wendy

When I leave, you will know I have been here

jelly

I think when they use the flag to sell products it is cheapening what the flag represents. So I like many of you wish they would stop.

As far as people flying the flag I have no problem with that, and I am slightly curious of why other people do. I have not purchased a flag or any flag like paraphernalia and I have felt no social pressure to do so. Not from my neighbors, many of which flew flags, or by my classmates who also flew the colors.

I would like someone that has felt pressured to fly the flag to maybe post what happened I would love to read your experience.

Jelly

P.S. If you have time maybe someone could type up some examples (recent) of the governments ‘skillful use’ of propaganda.

Are they going too far?

Share this