The Little Village That Shouldn't

The Washington Dispatch ^ | May 6, 2003 | Frank Salvato

[The Rant]

It is with astonishment that I write about a situation that is so narcissistically absurd that one would think it could only happen in California under the watchful eye of the liberal-left. Yet, amazingly, it is happening right here in the Midwest, in Riverside, Illinois and could be happening wherever apathy condones political correctness.

It would seem that there are some, I like to call them the vocal minority, who find the harmless yellow ribbons that are affixed to the trees of the neighborhoods in this established American community visually obnoxious. The ribbons “are unsightly and not in keeping with the aesthetics of the village” the Landscape Advisory Commission of Riverside, Illinois contends.

It doesn’t matter that they stand as a symbol of support for the young men and women of our military who are valiantly freeing the oppressed, keeping us safe from those who would rather have us dead, and those who have died in the pursuit of freedom all over the world, the yellow clashes with the subtle hues of the preferred foliage like an ascot clashes with a tuxedo! What a pathetic, self-absorbed notion!

We here in the Midwest have always been cushioned, so to speak, from the jaded aristocracy of the Ivy League East Coast and the egotistical political correctness of the liberal “Left Coast”. Our common sense and hard work ethics have always put us in the position of being the voice of sensibility, the Heartland. We have been described by many as the rational voice of the nation where an elevated level of common sense prevails over the extreme opinions of those who can sometimes be maddening.

But these words of praise ring hollow at the assertion that the symbolic support for those who actually afford us the very freedom under which we practice the right to object is “aesthetically displeasing to the eye.” With that statement, and the suggestion from the Landscape Advisory Committee of Riverside to the village board, we see the common sense fading away only to be replaced with the arrogance that political correctness affords.

We must not let a panel of the misguided and self-absorbed dictate to the majority what is appropriate or aesthetically pleasing to the eye. We must not allow the few to castrate our individuality of expression when it comes to the support of our country and those who fight in her name. While a few may find the color contrast between the yellow ribbons of support and the color schemes of the neighborhoods distasteful there are those, and I suggest a multitude, that find them to be the most beautiful things in the world.

And then there are others who look on them as the last thing they have to symbolize the support of their community for those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country and for freedom. To decry that these testimonies are unpleasing to the eye is literally a slap in the face to those in the military, their families and especially to the memories of those who died in the name of what is right and their families.

Let’s all hope that the Village Board of Riverside, Illinois and places with malcontents akin to those in Riverside, Illinois, do not follow the misguided and incredibly snobby advice of their Landscape Advisory Commission. To do so would not only be allowing the political correctness and aristocracy of the coasts to infiltrate our well balanced and common sense world but it would be unpatriotic and an insult to those in the military, their families, our fallen soldiers and those of us who support our military.

Coincidentally, those of us who support our troops with these ribbons are all voters, too. That is something the village board of Riverside, Illinois, and village boards all over the country, should keep in mind when they make decisions about what is appropriate and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

..........

Frank Salvato is a political media consultant, a freelance writer from the Midwest and the Managing Editor for www.TheRant.us. He is a contributing writer to The Washington Dispatch. He pieces are featured at OpinionEditorials.com (Guest Writer), Etherzone.com (Regular Contributor) and Townhall.com.

[Mears]

I'll bet this is the type of neighborhood that would be horrified to see a resident buy a pick up truck and park it in the driveway.

I'm from Massachusetts,so nothing surprises me anymore about my area,but in the Midwest this behaviour seems unusual to me.

[thinktwice]

the Landscape Advisory Commission of Riverside, Illinois

Give a man a fish -- you'll soon feed him every day.
Give a man a title -- you'll soon obey him every day.

[upchuck]

PC It's everywhere, everywhere!

Unfortunately.

[Jackrabbit Slim]

Let it be duly noted who the GOP Committeewoman for Riverside Township is

That's right our State Party Chair and State Treasurer

The Honourable Judy Baar Topinka


Let's hear it for her, shall we

[gcruse]

We won't mourn or yearn our way to victory.
During time of war, fly the American flag.
Flush the yellow.

[ladtx]

During time of war, fly the American flag. Flush the yellow.

We fly both. The flag for our country and the yellow ribbons for our sons, along with the blue star (or war mother) flags.