Seeing Red

Fridays have been declared “wear red days” to show our support for our troops. Not just this Friday, but every Friday, presumably until they all come home. (But then, will all of our troops ever come home? Has there ever been a time in our history where some of our troops weren’t somewhere in the world where they weren’t wanted?) Who started this wear red day anyway? Still, the fact remains, we’re supposed to wear red -- on Fridays-- to show our patriotism. Apparently putting a magnet on my car wasn’t enough.

Here’s my problem. Just exactly what does it mean to wear red? I’m not opposed to supporting our troops, if it means getting our men and women out of that hell hole of Iraq, but I have problems with supporting our troops if it means supporting the war, if it means killing more innocent Iraqis so we can spread democracy and steal their oil. I have a problem with wearing red if ostensibly it means I agree with Bush and his Cronies.

And let’s face it. I have a problem with wearing red simply because someone tells me that I should. If I forget to wear red will I be branded as unpatriotic by my co-workers? If I don’t mean to wear red but once again forget, will my patriotic co-workers think that I agree with them? Can I wear red on days other than Fridays? What the hell! I’m screwed no matter what I do.

So here’s my solution. Hopefully our troops are fighting to insure our continued freedom. And that freedom includes the right to support them or not. It also includes the right to choose whatever I damned well please to choose without being questioned about my motives, including what color to wear on Fridays. Therefore, in support of our troops, I propose that we wear nothing on Fridays. Call it the ultimate casual day. And truly, there will be no mistaking who is supporting our troops. It’s easy to say you’re patriotic by flying a flag, but this will show you who the true patriots are.