Slap one on your car bumper, if you like. Put it on city police cars and ambulances, if you think it’s necessary. You can even drape a giant one in the arrivals area of your international airport.
But, really, do we need to plaster oversized “Support Our Troops” decals on the Parliament Buildings, too?
I spotted these in the first-floor windows of the Confederation Building this morning. (I’m just back from a month-long holiday and they may have been there a while, so forgive me if I’m late to this.)
The decal on the left is an a window that appears to be the office of Ottawa-Orleans Conservative MP Royal Galipeau.
The other one is in the window of another Galipeau office, or his neighbour, the Honourable Member for Las Vegas – the Islands, New Democrat Ruth Ellen Brousseau. I couldn’t tell because all the offices in that corridor were closed this morning.
Now, Support Our Troops has become such a mantra in the current political climate that no one dares question the sentiment. But should the buildings that house our government be turned into billboard to trumpet a message, no matter how widely supported?
How would we feel about a giant AIDS ribbon hanging from a window? Or what if Conservative Rob Anders dangled his “Free Tibet” t-shirt from his office window, instead of wearing in front of Chinese officials?
Why is there no giant Canadian flag in his window? Is Galipeau anti-Canada? Someone should ask these kinds of important questions. I’m surprised there’s no office rule banning personal crap in windows…