Turning a Buck on Patriotism

Denton (Texas) Record-Chronicle ^ | 10-7-01 | Donna Fielder

[Redbob]

Turning a buck on patriotism

10/07/2001
By Donna Fielder
"I feel like I’ve been promoted to bus driver," the firefighter told me. "You know, bus drivers eat free when they bring in a bus load to some restaurants."
I guess the flag-waving had to slow down sometime, and it was inevitable that some people would start to think about turning a buck on patriotism.
After Sept. 11, everyone wanted to wave a flag, and flags became scarce. I saw them offered on the Internet at five times the price they usually cost.

It’s called capitalism, I guess.

I understand making a profit. I know about supply and demand.
I also know tacky when I see it.

And I saw it last week.

The letter was on the stationary of a restaurant chain with a franchise just outside the Denton city limits. I’ll not mention the name, but I wouldn’t advise wearing a favorite tie in there.
Three identical letters arrived at the fire department this week on the chain’s letterhead, addressed to Denton’s three firefighters who traveled to New York City to help with the search and rescue efforts there.
They literally risked their lives on "the pile" looking for survivors and picking pieces of victims out of thousands of tons of broken, twisted steel.
They were members of the Urban Search and Rescue team, which is under the auspices of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The names of every member of the Texas Strike Force 1 were on the team’s website, along with the names of their departments. It must have been a gold mine for marketing teams looking for another list to sell to entrepreneurs who viewed the deaths of 5,000 people as a new business angle to exploit.

You know how it works. You order a widget from the Gidget Widget Company catalogue, and suddenly your mailbox gets crammed daily with catalogues from every widget, thingamabob and do-dad company that cranks them out.

The widget company sold your name and address.

We’re all proud of Jeff Dixon, Alan Hempstead and Capt. Brad Fuller.
Since they’ve been back, they’ve received a lot of mail – much of it from school children.
"Thank you for helping in New York. You rock!" one little girl wrote on a hand-made construction paper card. The firefighters treasured those cards.
The letter from the restaurant chain started basically the same way.
We’re proud of you and what you did, the letter began, adding a few patriotic flourishes here and there.
This restaurant chain wanted to show its gratitude to the heroes from Texas.
Just grab three or four of your friends and bring them along and have a steak dinner on us, the letter invited. We’ll buy your meal, you hero you.
Of course – we can’t pay for your friends’ meals, since they’re not bona fide heroes like you. But get them to show up and buy a meal, and yours is free.
Now, the restaurant chain must have realized that each firefighter might not have four friends willing to buy a steak so he could have a free one, hero that he is.
The letter offered a solution.
If you come alone, we can’t, of course, pick up your whole tab, the chain advised. But buy a meal, Mr. Hero, and we’ll give you a free desert.
What a great humanitarian gesture!

What heart. What an American spirit.

God bless the USA.

Makes you want to hit the trail right out there and slap some maitre d’ in cowboy boots on the back and wave a flag in his face, doesn’t it?
"I just threw my letter away," another of the firefighters said.
"After what I saw in New York City, my priorities are different, and something like that is just not going to upset me."

Me either.
I realize that we as Americans have more important things to deal with than businesses trying to make a buck off the greatest crime against our country ever perpetrated.
I’m not enraged, infuriated or even indignant.
But I’m disgusted.
Enough to put me off my feed for steak – at least from that steak house – for a long, long time.
DONNA FIELDER can be reached at (940) 381-9660.

[Redbob]

Mrs. Fielder is too polite to mention the restaurant's name - but I'm not!
It's the "Trail Dust" and now they're as famous for their shameful attempts to capitalize on the heroism of some local firemen as they are for their tough steaks and cowbarn decor.

Let 'em know what you think at
Write the Traildust

[Redbob]

Let me make that clear:

It's the "Traildust Steakhouse" she's writing about.

Mrs. Fielder is a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, and she's easy to look at, too!

[lodwick]

Pitiful post! What is wrong with those puds?

I am ashamed for my state when something like this happens: we don't need cheap mullets, Traildust, like you trying to hose our heros.