Blue Star Banners

A Blue Star Service Banner displayed in the window of a home is an American tradition. The banner lets others know that someone in the home is proudly serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. As Americans do their best to support Operation Iraqi Freedom and the ongoing war on terror, the Blue Star Service Banner tradition reminds us all that war touches every neighborhood in our land.

In one of the windows on the front porch of my sisters house hangs a banner like this. Her two oldest sons are both in the Army. For reasons of security, I won't mention their outfits. The eldest already served one tour in Iraq. As things stand, he believes he will return over there for another year before his enlistment is up. His brother is training with his unit right now for deployment later this year...

Will I support our troops? Yes, of course! Will I support the administration that put them in harms way? NO! I am proud of my nephews. I helped raise them both. However, they didn't 'join up' out of patriotic fervor. There main reason for doing so was economic hardship. The elder could not find long term work after high school. The younger did state during high school that he would join the military, so he could get money for college/post-secondary education. That scares me: young people gambling with their lives, if they survive they can go to school, if they're not to damaged.

Oh, word play, this is gonna be bad...don't say I didn't warn ya! Since President Bush is from Texas, and our service member are gambling...does that equate to a new form of "Texas Hold 'em"? (I warned ya).