Wear Red on Fridays - 'Til They All Come Home

Most people can’t wear a t-shirt, sweatshirt or even a golf-style shirt emblazoned with slogans to their work place. This is where the “Wear Red on Fridays” campaign comes in. No matter what you do for a living, where you work or play, you can show your support by a simple wardrobe choice. Maybe add a red tie to your suit, a red scarf or even just a red purse. True, most people won’t know the significance, at least not yet.

This is a true grass-roots movement and there is no agenda or underlying message.  There are no politics or candidates looking for supporters, though I wouldn’t object if both Houses of Congress on both sides of the aisle wore something red on Fridays. This isn’t about the war, funding for veteran’s groups or rights, or any other specific issue, dialogue or debate. Yet, Red Fridays can directly impact all of those.

One of the criticisms is that something so broad and generic is ultimately an empty and meaningless gesture, as its intent and interpretation is so open. Rather than being a criticism, I say that is exactly the point.

Each person who chooses to wear red on Fridays does so for their own reasons. What those reasons are, what they think and feel, can only be discovered by conversation. Dialogue between people is the best and truest path forward in this or any society. We are at a critical time in our nation, on every front we are faced with challenges and issues that will impact every one of us for years, if not generations, to come. There is no better way to address these issues than to get people talking about them. In order to understand the answers, people must first understand the questions and “we the People” are the best educators of each other.

So, wear Red on Friday in support of our troops, whatever that means to you. Then, tell people why you think and feel the way you do.

Starting this week, there will be a new post about our military and veterans every Friday. Make it a conversation here on the Patch and in your day to day lives, or at least on Fridays while you are wearing red.