What's up with all the YELLOW FLAGS in past month?

[PretzelWarrior]

I live in a very liberal Portland Oregon area, but some of the surrounding burbs are apparently filled with a bunch of Red/white/blue...United We Stand.....I Stand By Bush kind of people and a couple of communities in the area have taken to sticking yellow ribbons on every pole imaginable.

Is this a response to things not going well for president? Is this an underground way of holding vigil for troops who were supposed to return but are stuck in Iraq after being lied to?

Are there tons of hostages I don't know about?

I just find it wierd like the patriotic overdrive of some people is kicking in as they realize all rational thought would tell them this president is screwing the pooch.

Thoughts?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. People are trying to stay behind the troops

with all the cognitive disonance

Also many Guard Units are now over there, for the duration, they just extend them at three months a chunck... which is torture, in many ways.

[PretzelWarrior]

2. yeah...see what you mean. since the torture photos....people are shaken

in their beliefs about military folks so they want to at least support the ones who are being decent citizens (the vast majority, I'd wager).

Still, it seems bizarre considering they weren't doing this 6 months ago or a year ago. (they broke out the yellow ribbons right away during gulf war in 91, I remember).

[MissB]

3. Really?

Which part of the city? I'm in a pretty conservative part of Pdx - SW. I go between SE and NE quite a bit, but I haven't seen any sort of thing.

Is this out in Beaverton and Hillsboro?

[PretzelWarrior]

4. Beaverton and Tualatin

those kinds of areas.

[MissB]

5. I have no idea

I haven't seen anything on the local news.

[Streetdoc270]

6. Yellow ribbons

"Are there tons of hostages I don't know about?"

The use of yellow ribbons is a reminder of loved ones away from home as in the song 'Tie a Yellow Ribbon round the ole oak tree'

http://www.americanfamilytraditions.com/yellow_ribbon.htm

[PretzelWarrior]

7. yeah I knew that part. but the CITIES and groups are doing this

more as an in your face "we're patriotic and love the troops" thing. I don't see a lot of private houses with the yellow ribbons as much as I see these conservative bastions around here making a visual point about how much they support the troops--suddenly.

Honestly, I had wondered if the RNC or others had gotten out some memo that this wouuld be a great response by their state leaderships

but it could be truly a big emotional response that kicked in late.