Hot Topic (1/6): Don't tie a yellow ribbon 'round the old oak tree!
Yellow ribbon controversy turns town meeting into a circus
LITCHFIELD — What was supposed to be a meeting Tuesday to discuss a ban on what some call patriotic yellow ribbons turned into a circus Tuesday and, although no decision was reached, residents had a lot to say on the subject.
“We should do everything we can to support our troops, and we should be allowed to decorate the green in good taste,” Gary Gillman, a resident of the Borough of Litchfield, said.
The Board of Burgesses for the borough voted recently to ban all yellow ribbons on trees on the Litchfield green. Yellow ribbons are commonly tied around trees to honor members of the Armed Service branches.
Several residents carried small American flags to the meeting and passed them out in an effort to voice their opposition to what they felt was an unpatriotic decision on the part of the board.
Lee Losee, warden of the borough, read a prepared statement indicating that the board’s decision to remove the ribbons was based on aesthetics. The ribbons, he said, have hung on the trees since 2003, and had become frayed and faded in that time. There had previously been ribbons adorning 164 Litchfield green trees.
“In the last three months, I have driven around, through small towns in New England, and I have not seen many yellow ribbons around trees, I have seen the large plywood signs welcoming home our troops, but no yellow ribbons,” Losee said.
Losee went on the say that residents had been in charge of the maintenance of the ribbons on the green trees and that they had been allowed to deteriorate until the board felt it had no choice but to have them removed.
The board had previously offered other solutions to the issue, including a larger, permanent commemorative ribbon, or a sign dedicated to service members. Borough residents, however expressed displeasure at these concepts preferring they said, to honor members of the military in their own way.
Warden Losee also said the board has received several other requests to display ribbons of different colors, including 3,000 black ribbons in honor of those who died on Sept. 11, 2001.
“Could you imagine three thousand ribbons on the trees? There are 164 trees. Where would they all go?” Losee said.
But the board should not have come to its decision without polling homeowners, said resident Ray Budny. “They should have at least had a meeting,” he said. “We could have just talked about it.”
When asked if any of his family members or friends were serving in the military, Budny replied that “My whole United States is over there.”
A decision was postponed until the Feb. 2 meeting of the Board of Burgesses, scheduled to be held at the meeting house of the Litchfield Congregational Church, due to an expected high turnout.
* * *
Should town residents be allowed to decorate trees on public property with yellow ribbons?
What do you think about this ban?
Does this proposed ban violate anyone's rights?
No people should not be allowed to decorate trees on public property unless they have permission from the state, which should include the time frame they will be up for and when they will be removed. I don't think cities should be responsible for doing it. I think people putting yellow ribbons on their homes, cars, and privately owned trees is fantastic but public property should be regulated. We are a military family and have been critisized because we don't fly the US flag during the winter. I usually put one out when I plant flowers but I find it very distasteful to see them ragged and dirty looking. I think the trees are the same way. Showing our troops support is fantastic but when the ribbons look neglected and dirty what is the point really?? When I see beat up yellow ribbons (or US flags) that look dirty and faded it makes me think of the lack of care our troops are getting when they come home. There are a lot of others ways you can show your support if it is something that you really care about.
From the article:
Losee went on the say that residents had been in charge of the maintenance of the ribbons on the green trees and that they had been allowed to deteriorate until the board felt it had no choice but to have them removed.
The board had previously offered other solutions to the issue, including a larger, permanent commemorative ribbon, or a sign dedicated to service members. Borough residents, however expressed displeasure at these concepts preferring they said, to honor members of the military in their own way.
This is where I have an issue with people putting up stuff on public property. They think their responsibility ends with tying the ribbon on or stapling the sign up. The groups never go back to replace them as they get tattered, or destroyed and why should the community put up with the eye sore and the cities that are struggling to fund projects on tight budgets take on the additional work of cleaning up after them.
"... residents had been in charge of the maintenance of the ribbons on the green trees and that they had been allowed to deteriorate until the board felt it had no choice but to have them removed."
I'm not sure what the answer is. I don't like the idea of the ban, but it equally distresses me that the residents had allowed the ribbons to deteriorate. I am a the daughter, wife, & mother of men who have/are serving our great country. I don't see how raggedy old ribbons honor our military. Flag etiquette says that when a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.Then it is usually replaced with a new one. Perhaps we need to follow the same rules of etiquette for the ribbons.
Agreed this is America and let the United States support its American troops who daily put their lives on the line.
Great, now I'll have that song stuck in my head all day. Oops, showing my age.
I see the point of having to allow all ribbons if they allow the yellow ones it can get messy, especially if they are not well maintained. Seems like a sign or permanent ribbon would be nice and people should be able to decorate their own property as they like, within reason.
Church of The Invisible Pink Unicorn (blessed be her holy hooves)
Nothing is preventing an individual from 'supporting the troops'. They are more than welcome to use their own private property to show their support, the issue is when people believe they should put something up on public grounds, It seems some people believe their need to "support the troops" end when they slap on that sticker or tie on that ribbon, then they walk away and their display becomes the problem of someone else when it gets tattered and falls apart.
It seems the clear message in this piece is that had the people taken care of these displays as they agreed to do it wouldn't be an issue. The city has given them alternatives to the ribbons in the park and they are not satisified, so like so many, they wrap themselves in the flag and pervert the message to try and claim discrimination and anti American sentiment on the part of the government.
Quoting tyme4me2day:
Agreed this is America and let the United States support its American troops who daily put their lives on the line.
they can put the ribbons on their own trees then. not on trees on town property
Quoting lizzybugsmomma:
American city, American troops.. of course the yellow ribbons should be allowed. Let the complainers find something else to complain about.
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