Support our troops
Encyclopedia
Awareness ribbons |
 Patriotism Patriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy... |
 Armed forces The armed forces of a country are its government-sponsored defense, fighting forces, and organizations. They exist to further the foreign and domestic policies of their governing body, and to defend that body and the nation it represents from external aggressors. In some countries paramilitary... support; Canadian patriotism |
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Support our troops is a slogan commonly used in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in reference to each country's military forces or troops. The slogan has been used during recent conflicts, including the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
and the Iraq war.
The slogan is sometimes seen as over-generalizing complex issues; for example, an individual may support personnel in the military but not the current respective government's foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
.
Yellow Ribbon
The Yellow "Support Our Troops" Ribbon image is a registered trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
(Application number: 0918155) of the Minister of National Defence of Canada
Minister of National Defence (Canada)
The Minister of National Defence is a Minister of the Crown; the Canadian politician within the Cabinet of Canada responsible for the Department of National Defence which oversees the Canadian Forces....
administered by Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services (CFPFSS) on behalf of the members of the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. As such it is a protected image that may only be used with the explicit permission of Canadian Forces Personnel and Family Support Services.
The Yellow Ribbon Image is available to all divisions of Personnel and Family Support Services, both operational and support, for their own direct purposes, both Public and Non-Public. CANEX
Canadian Forces Exchange System
The Canadian Forces Exchange System or CANEX, a unit of the Canadian Forces that was established in 1968, is tasked with supporting the Canadian Forces operational effectiveness, contributing to morale, espirit de corps and unit cohesion...
is the official and only vendor of authorized merchandise and apparel that features the Yellow Ribbon image. The Yellow Ribbon Image cannot be used by any 3rd party for the purposes of advertising their own goods and services. The usage of the Yellow Ribbon is only authorized in conjunction with Support our Troops fundraising or sponsorship events or activities.
CANEX
Canadian Forces Exchange System
The Canadian Forces Exchange System or CANEX, a unit of the Canadian Forces that was established in 1968, is tasked with supporting the Canadian Forces operational effectiveness, contributing to morale, espirit de corps and unit cohesion...
in partnership with ServiceOntario
ServiceOntario
ServiceOntario is part of a Government of Ontario initiative created out of a desire to give Ontarians an easy, cost effective way to access government services...
created Ontario vanity licence plates featuring the Yellow
Ribbon, the Support Our Troops logo.
Red Friday
Groups have advocated the wearing of red on Fridays, in an event known as Red Friday, to show their support for all members of the armed forces abroad, regardless of the circumstances under which they were deployed. Other groups wear red on Friday to support or oppose wars, specifically the Iraq War and the War in AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
.
Red Friday in Canada
People in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
have worn red on Fridays to show support for troops serving in the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
. Red is chosen because it is an official Canadian colour, and historically is a colour of remembrance because it symbolizes the red poppies in Flanders Fields
Flanders Fields
Flanders Fields is the generic name of the World War I battlefields in the medieval County of Flanders. At the time of World War I, the county no longer existed but corresponded approximately to the Belgian provinces East Flanders and West Flanders and the French Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The...
and the loss of life that the country has endured.
Many positions in the House of Commons do not allow employees to dress outside of uniform, but allow staff to wear a red ribbon as a compromise. This is the only exception to these dress codes other than wearing a poppy
Poppy
A poppy is one of a group of a flowering plants in the poppy family, many of which are grown in gardens for their colorful flowers. Poppies are sometimes used for symbolic reasons, such as in remembrance of soldiers who have died during wartime....
for Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
.
Related ideas
Awareness ribbonAwareness ribbon
Awareness ribbons, due to their ubiquitous nature, have come to symbolize various concerns depending on the colours or the patterns used. For example, black ribbons may be used for mourning....
s are short pieces of ribbon folded into a loop (or representations of such) that are used in countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK as a way for the wearer to make a subtle statement of support for a cause or issue. A yellow ribbon
Yellow ribbon
The yellow ribbon is used for various symbolic purposes. It is often worn on one's person or tied around a tree in one's front yard.- Earliest Evidence unearthed at Pompeii :...
is a symbol with various meanings, mostly associated with those waiting for the return of a loved one or of military troops who are temporarily unable to come home.
Service flag
A service flag or service banner in the United States is an official banner that family members of service members in harm's way can display. The flag or banner is defined as a white field with a red border, with a blue star for each family member on active duty. A gold star represents a family...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is an official banner
Banner
A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made...
that family members of service members serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during any period of war or hostilities can display.
Criticism and opponents
Political analyst Noam ChomskyNoam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
has criticized the slogan, saying,
- [...] the point of public relationsPublic relationsPublic relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
slogans like "Support Our Troops" is that they don't mean anything [...] that's the whole point of good propaganda. You want to create a slogan that nobody is going to be against and I suppose everybody will be for, because nobody knows what it means, because it doesn't mean anything. But its crucial value is that it diverts your attention from a question that does mean something, do you support our policy? And that's the one you're not allowed to talk about.
See also
General- Memorial DayMemorial DayMemorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
- POW/MIA flagPOW/MIA flagThe POW/MIA flag is an American flag designed as a symbol of citizen concern about United States military personnel taken as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action ....
- Remembrance DayRemembrance DayRemembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
- Tomb of the UnknownsTomb of the UnknownsThe Tomb of the Unknowns is a monument dedicated to American service members who have died without their remains being identified. It is located in Arlington National Cemetery in the United States...
- The Unknown WarriorThe Unknown WarriorThe British tomb of The Unknown Warrior holds an unidentified British soldier killed on a European battlefield during the First World War. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, London on 11 November 1920, simultaneously with a similar interrment of a French unknown soldier at the Arc de Triomphe in...
- Veterans DayVeterans DayVeterans Day, formerly Armistice Day, is an annual United States holiday honoring military veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark...
- War on TerrorismWar on TerrorismThe War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
Anti-war
- Criticism of the War on TerrorismCriticism of the War on TerrorismCriticism of the War on Terror addresses the issues, morals, ethics, efficiency, economics, and other questions surrounding the War on Terror...
- Joel SteinJoel SteinJoel Stein is a journalist who wrote for the Los Angeles Times and is a regular contributor to Time.-Early life:Stein grew up in Edison, New Jersey and attended J. P. Stevens High School, where he was a writer and entertainment editor for Hawkeye, the student newspaper...
- Opposition to the Iraq WarOpposition to the Iraq WarSignificant opposition to the Iraq War occurred worldwide, both before and during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom, and smaller contingents from other nations, and throughout the subsequent occupation...
- Opposition to the Vietnam WarOpposition to the Vietnam WarThe movement against US involvment in the in Vietnam War began in the United States with demonstrations in 1964 and grew in strength in later years. The US became polarized between those who advocated continued involvement in Vietnam, and those who wanted peace. Peace movements consisted largely of...
Other
- Canada's role in the invasion of AfghanistanCanada's role in the invasion of AfghanistanCanada did not have a significant role in the first few months of the invasion of Afghanistan that began on October 7, 2001, and the first contingents of regular Canadian troops arrived in Afghanistan only in January–February 2002. Canada took on a larger role starting in 2006 after the Canadian...
- Glittering generalityGlittering generalityGlittering generalities are emotionally appealing words so closely associated with highly-valued concepts and beliefs that they carry conviction without supporting information or reason. Such highly-valued concepts attract general approval and acclaim...
- Iraq War troop surge of 2007Iraq War troop surge of 2007In the context of the Iraq War, the surge refers to United States President George W. Bush's 2007 increase in the number of American troops in order to provide security to Baghdad and Al Anbar Province....
- Media manipulationMedia manipulationMedia manipulation is an aspect of public relations in which partisans create an image or argument that favours their particular interests. Such tactics may include the use of logical fallacies and propaganda techniques, and often involve the suppression of information or points of view by crowding...
- MilitarizationMilitarizationMilitarization, or militarisation, is the process by which a society organizes itself for military conflict and violence. It is related to militarism, which is an ideology that reflects the level of militarization of a state...
- PatriotismPatriotismPatriotism is a devotion to one's country, excluding differences caused by the dependencies of the term's meaning upon context, geography and philosophy...
- Popular opinion in the US on the invasion of Iraq
- Thought-terminating cliché