Yellow ribbons spark debate (photo: Michelle Durand, San Mateo Daily Journal)
Posted on 04/02/2003 12:21:16 AM PST by JohnHuang2
A disgruntled California man has demanded the mayor of Burlingame remove the many yellow ribbons displayed on a major retail thoroughfare and to apologize to "any person who may have been offended by his illegal actions," reports the San Mateo Daily Journal.
Mayor Mike Coffey had decided the city would not enforce an ordinance against private displays on public property when a woman asked if she could put ribbons on Burlingame Avenue. Now that nearly every tree and lamppost has a yellow ribbon, Seth Yatovitz, a resident of Palo Alto, wants the city to take them down, calling them "offensive ribbons."
Yellow ribbons spark debate (photo: Michelle Durand, San Mateo Daily Journal) |
According to the paper, Coffey couldn't imagine anyone complaining about the town's residents showing support for U.S. troops in Iraq.
"Clearly there are many laws on our books that are enforced when called to our attention, but we don't have the resources to enforce all the laws we have until somebody brings it up," City Manager Jim Nantell told the Daily Journal.
Even though Yatovitz is not a resident of Burlingame, he has the right to object, said Nantell.
In his complaint to the city, Yatovitz mentioned his belief that the soldiers involved in the Iraq theater are actually criminals.
"I find the yellow ribbons on city property offensive to my senses, as they are posted in support of violators of international law. I do support our troops that are not involved in illegal activity," Yatovitz wrote to the council.
If his demand is not heeded, according to the report, Yatovitz will begin a boycott of Burlingame businesses and possibly file a lawsuit.
"I'm trying to put pressure on the city targeting their tax base. It's not aimed at the businesses and I have no animosity towards the businesses," Yatovitz said.
Some businesspeople will not tolerate the city removing the ribbons.
"We are at war and somebody wants to remove the ribbon? I think it's over my dead body if he wants to remove it," said Ashok Patel, owner of the Burlingame Smoke Shop, according to the report.
As WorldNetDaily reported, the Fieldsboro, N.J., borough council recently voted to ban yellow ribbons from public property after a businessowner placed a ribbon on the official borough welcome sign and one nearby.
The Burlingame City Council will take up the issue at Monday's council meeting.
Yeah, maybe a few of the "war criminals" will pay him a visit and administer free attitude adjustment.
How about "...have a long hunting season on LIBERAL lawyers with NO bag limit." I'm sure there MUST be some conservative, patriotic lawyers out there--we wouldn't want to "bag" them by mistake.
She wore it in the summer and the merry month of May.
When I asked her why she wore the ribbon.
She said it's for my love in the US Cavalry.
I was thinking a similiar thing--maybe we could boycott idiots in this country--shun them.
By the way, Stanford Electronics at the corner of Everett Avenue and High Street was the first business with a flag up after the Sept. 11 attack. They put one up early the same day. Everyone else started on the next day.
I remember noticing it and thinking, "We really are at war," and also thinking what a great company that has been over the years in terms of serving the community. They've been around and very helpful for emergency repairs for years. Stanford Electronics showed it's integrity again on Sept. 11.
Seth Yatovitz
High Street
Pentv1@pacbell.net
"I find the yellow ribbons on city property offensive to my senses, as they are posted in support of violators of international law. I do support our troops that are not involved in illegal activity," Yatovitz wrote to the council.
Seems we have another UN worshipper who thinks you have to get on your knees three times a day and face New York and the UN before anything is legal.
That said, I would never criticize somebody for putting them up. That is their political expression, and they are welcome to it. I only say so here on FR because we are all big boys and girls who can take a little criticism.
I find the yellow ribbons particularly offensive because they were first widely used during the Iranian hostage taking, and were an idea borrowed from a Tony Orlando song about a woman who displayed a ribbon to welcome back man getting out of prison. I thought it was wrong that our US Embassy personnel were being compared to prisoners. I thought that the notion that the hostages would not be welcomed back to be ludicrious. But mostly I did not like them because for 444 days the country just tied ribbons on lamposts and did nothing else to effectuate their release. The yellow ribbons became, for me, a symbol of an impotent government, powerless in the face of Islamic thuggery.
After that, the whole ribbon thing just rubbed me the wrong way. If you want to display your patriotism, put up a flag!
These are some yellow ribbons hanging around all over town. We've got men and women under fire and in hell holes as prisoners of war, at least one with two broken legs and a broken arm. Is it really too much to ask for yellow ribbons to be hung as a reminder of them? I don't think so, and anyone who pushes that idea is a very tiny person to my way of thinking. And no, I wasn't lumping you in there.
I would agree that flags are better, but if it means enough to someone to put up yellow ribbons, for goodness sake leave them up.
You got that right. Anybody who supports the troops has my support, even if they go about it in a different way.
The good news is that the hysterical efforts of anti-war Leftists to twist arms to take down patriotic displays means we are winning the war for hearts and minds here at home.
New news headline:
There's always at least one in every crowd. (nutcase that is)
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